European Association of Urology
Encyclopedia
The European Association of Urology (EAU) is a non-profit organisation
committed to the representation of urology professionals worldwide. All active urology professionals, including urology nurses, are eligible for membership of the EAU.
The constituent bodies of the EAU include the:
Decisions made by the EAU General Assembly are implemented by the EAU Offices. The Executive Committee and EAU Offices are assisted by the EAU Central Office, which is based in Arnhem, The Netherlands
, and run by the Executive Management.
The European Academy of Urology is the advisory body to and of the EAU. The Academy consists of members who have previously had official responsibilities within the EAU.
alism and competence among our members.
The EAU maintains close contacts with national urology organisations who represent the interests of urologists at a national level worldwide. These independent national organisations are crucial as they support the EAU and its European activities, for example the Annual EAU Congress and ‘Urology Week’, which is organised annually to raise awareness of urological conditions throughout Europe, within the healthcare professions and the general public.
Urology associations in the Asia-Pacific
, Latin America
, the Middle East
regions welcome opportunities for bilateral exchanges with EAU members with regard to training, education and other areas in urology. Ultimately, this exchange will benefit the entire specialty. During the Annual EAU Congress, a specific day has been allocated to 'Urology Beyond Europe' (see www.uroweb.org), the sessions held during this day will reinforce collaboration between the EAU and other urology societies worldwide.
Other ongoing collaborative projects involving the EAU include the European Multidisciplinary Meeting on Urological Cancers (EMUC), which is organised in association with the European Society for Medical Oncology
(ESMO) and the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO). EMUC brings together world experts in the field of urological oncology, thus providing the opportunity to increase our knowledge and improve our approach to a wide range of topics, including biology, prevention, diagnosis, therapy and quality of life.
An additional example of EAU collaboration with another organisation for the benefit of urology is the World Health Organisation (WHO) Consensus Conference on bladder cancer
, which was held in April 2008.
The European Association of Urology Nurses (EAUN) aims to contribute to the development of higher standards of urology nursing in Europe. EAUN members receive a series of free publications and benefit from additional privileges, such as the fellowship programme.
.
) meetings on a regional, but supranational, basis. These meetings provide platforms from which new clinical or experimental work from the region can be presented to an international audience. To complement the international perspective, speakers from outside the region are invited to give lectures on current topics. Recent Regional EAU Meetings have included the 2nd North-Eastern European Meeting and the 8th Central Europe
an Meeting.
of the European Union
of Medical Specialists (UEMS) Section of Urology – joined forces to establish a new committee: the EU-ACME to promote Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Professional Development
(CPD) for all European urologists. The EBU, an independent organisation, is responsible for all regulatory matters; the involvement of EAU makes a truly European-wide system possible.
European urologists can gain CME credit points by participating in accredited activities (e.g. by attending meetings or reading scientific publications and answering questions online). These activities are designed to provide information that is both relevant and essential to medical practice. We expect that national CME systems will become obligatory in Europe in the near future.
All EAU events and annual meetings of the national urology societies are automatically accredited.
across Europe and encourages exchange of expertise and knowledge between European urologists.
The EUSP offers the following programmes:
• scholarship: maximum of 1 year of basic, clinical or experimental research
• clinical fellowship: 6 weeks to 3 months
• short-term visit: maximum of 3 weeks
• visiting professorship : 4 days.
by qualified ICH GCP investigators.
The EAU-RF will:
- instigate the formation of networks by establishing a scientific communication infrastructure between the EAU-RF and high-profile clinical study centres, their satellites and basic science laboratories
- initiate and organise multicentre and multinational clinical studies and basic science projects
- initiate, fund and conduct investigator-initiated trials
- identify and offer opportunities for research scholarships
- communicate these activities to European urologists and to public and private sources of funding.
The EAU-RF has created a governance structure designed to achieve its targets most efficiently. The PR and Fundraising Committee, the Clinical Research Committee, the Basic Research
Committee and the Scholarship Committee have been set up, and are complemented by the comprehensive trial support offered at every stage by the EAU Central Research Office - CuraTrial (http://www.curatrial.com).
European Urology, the official scientific journal
of the EAU, is a world-class publication involving dedicated urologists and with a high impact factor (IF 5.634). The journal publishes peer-reviewed
original articles and topical reviews on a wide range of urological issues. European Urology constantly reviews and updates its features and layout to remain innovative, keep pace with the rapidly evolving world of medicine, technology and surgery and provide the best clinical guidance, research and education for urologists worldwide. European Urology is EU-ACME accredited. It is available in print and online and reaches over 20,000 readers.
European Urology Today (EUT), the official newsletter of the EAU, reports news from the association and its committees as well as announcements regarding upcoming meetings and congress reports. All members are encouraged to contribute articles to the EUT discussing recent studies, technical developments, fellowship experiences, and other issues of interest to EAU members. EUT is published six times a year in full-colour, newspaper format and is distributed to approximately 13,000 addresses worldwide.
European Urology Video Journal
(EUVJ) is produced by the EAU Video Committee on a quarterly basis. Each issue includes a DVD containing 45 minutes of high-quality footage showing surgical techniques. An accompanying brochure contains the author's commentary and step-by-step description of the surgery shown in the video, thus providing the latest information on urological diseases and surgical techniques. All material is educational - common surgical techniques are shown in detail - and informative – the most recent developments regarding new technologies, devices or surgical approaches are presented.
In addition, the scientific programmes of all the main urology meetings, the EAU guidelines, original EAU articles (including a ‘chat’ function), a virtual school
, webinars and online discussions are on the EAU website.
EAU Education Office and the European School of Urology (ESU)
The ESU is part of the Education Office of the EAU. Its aim is to provide every practicing urologist and urologist-in-training in Europe with a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of all contemporary issues and most recent progress within urology.
Each year, post-graduate
ESU training courses, covering both general and advanced clinical and research topics, are scheduled during the Annual EAU Congress. In addition, hands-on training courses are offered in collaboration with the European Society of Urological Technology (ESUT), one of the EAU offices.
The ESU also organises and funds ESU Organised Courses. Course programmes are customised to meet the needs of local organisers and can vary in duration from 2 hours to up to 2 days. The ESU has started to arrange courses at all major national congresses.
Another initiative from the ESU involves standalone events covering recent developments, for example the annual European Urology Forum in Switzerland.
Masterclasses discussing the newest topics and latest developments in all fields of urology are held regularly. Recent masterclasses have included ‘medical treatment for urological cancer’ and ‘female and functional urology’.
The ESU has also started to build the Virtual European School of Urology. Using this new educational tool, both residents and urologists will be able to access on-line CME accredited training. All ESU activities are EU-ACME accredited.
Political commitment
The European Commission
strives to improve public health
in the European Union, to prevent human illness and diseases, and to obviate sources of danger to human health
.
To achieve a high level of health protection, close cooperation with the scientific experts is vital.
The WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations
system. The WHO is responsible for providing leadership on global health
matters, and the EAU therefore strives to be a partner with regard to urological health issues, such as prostate and bladder cancer.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
committed to the representation of urology professionals worldwide. All active urology professionals, including urology nurses, are eligible for membership of the EAU.
The constituent bodies of the EAU include the:
- Executive Committee (4 members elected by the General Assembly)
- Executive Board (the Executive Committee and the chairs of the EAU Offices)
- EAU Offices.
Decisions made by the EAU General Assembly are implemented by the EAU Offices. The Executive Committee and EAU Offices are assisted by the EAU Central Office, which is based in Arnhem, The Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and run by the Executive Management.
The European Academy of Urology is the advisory body to and of the EAU. The Academy consists of members who have previously had official responsibilities within the EAU.
Mission
The EAU’s mission is to raise the level of urological care in Europe by promoting professionProfession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
alism and competence among our members.
The EAU maintains close contacts with national urology organisations who represent the interests of urologists at a national level worldwide. These independent national organisations are crucial as they support the EAU and its European activities, for example the Annual EAU Congress and ‘Urology Week’, which is organised annually to raise awareness of urological conditions throughout Europe, within the healthcare professions and the general public.
Urology associations in the Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
regions welcome opportunities for bilateral exchanges with EAU members with regard to training, education and other areas in urology. Ultimately, this exchange will benefit the entire specialty. During the Annual EAU Congress, a specific day has been allocated to 'Urology Beyond Europe' (see www.uroweb.org), the sessions held during this day will reinforce collaboration between the EAU and other urology societies worldwide.
Other ongoing collaborative projects involving the EAU include the European Multidisciplinary Meeting on Urological Cancers (EMUC), which is organised in association with the European Society for Medical Oncology
Oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
(ESMO) and the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO). EMUC brings together world experts in the field of urological oncology, thus providing the opportunity to increase our knowledge and improve our approach to a wide range of topics, including biology, prevention, diagnosis, therapy and quality of life.
An additional example of EAU collaboration with another organisation for the benefit of urology is the World Health Organisation (WHO) Consensus Conference on bladder cancer
Bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is any of several types of malignant growths of the urinary bladder. It is a disease in which abnormal cells multiply without control in the bladder. The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ that stores urine; it is located in the pelvis...
, which was held in April 2008.
The European Association of Urology Nurses (EAUN) aims to contribute to the development of higher standards of urology nursing in Europe. EAUN members receive a series of free publications and benefit from additional privileges, such as the fellowship programme.
Annual congress
The EAU organises congresses and courses in the field of urology. The Annual EAU Congress is the largest urology meeting in the world; in 2008, over 12,000 delegates visited the congress in Milan, ItalyMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Regional meetings
The Board of the EAU has identified the need for an additional series of EU-ACME (European Urology - Accredited Continuing Medical EducationContinuing medical education
Continuing medical education refers to a specific form of continuing education that helps those in the medical field maintain competence and learn about new and developing areas of their field. These activities may take place as live events, written publications, online programs, audio, video, or...
) meetings on a regional, but supranational, basis. These meetings provide platforms from which new clinical or experimental work from the region can be presented to an international audience. To complement the international perspective, speakers from outside the region are invited to give lectures on current topics. Recent Regional EAU Meetings have included the 2nd North-Eastern European Meeting and the 8th Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
an Meeting.
Section Office
The EAU Section Office aims to develop specialist sections covering all sub- and super-specialist fields of urology. The participating sections promote and develop scientific and clinical programmes and organise regular meetings to disseminate information about these super-specialist activities and research.EU-ACME Committee
In 2004, the EAU and the European Board of Urology (EBU) – the working groupWorking group
A working group is an interdisciplinary collaboration of researchers working on new research activities that would be difficult to develop under traditional funding mechanisms . The lifespan of the WG can last anywhere between a few months and several years...
of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
of Medical Specialists (UEMS) Section of Urology – joined forces to establish a new committee: the EU-ACME to promote Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Professional Development
Continuing Professional Development
Continuing professional development or Continuing professional education is the means by which people maintain their knowledge and skills related to their professional lives.-CPD research:...
(CPD) for all European urologists. The EBU, an independent organisation, is responsible for all regulatory matters; the involvement of EAU makes a truly European-wide system possible.
European urologists can gain CME credit points by participating in accredited activities (e.g. by attending meetings or reading scientific publications and answering questions online). These activities are designed to provide information that is both relevant and essential to medical practice. We expect that national CME systems will become obligatory in Europe in the near future.
All EAU events and annual meetings of the national urology societies are automatically accredited.
European Urological Scholarship Programme (EUSP)
Knowledge shared is knowledge multiplied. The highest standards of urological care can be proliferated by sharing knowledge. The EUSP stimulates clinical and scientific researchScientific method
Scientific method refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of...
across Europe and encourages exchange of expertise and knowledge between European urologists.
The EUSP offers the following programmes:
• scholarship: maximum of 1 year of basic, clinical or experimental research
Experiment
An experiment is a methodical procedure carried out with the goal of verifying, falsifying, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. Experiments vary greatly in their goal and scale, but always rely on repeatable procedure and logical analysis of the results...
• clinical fellowship: 6 weeks to 3 months
• short-term visit: maximum of 3 weeks
• visiting professorship : 4 days.
Research Foundation
To improve and sustain the highest quality of urological research in Europe, the EAU has recently set up the EAU Research Foundation (EAU-RF), an independent body governed by the EAU. The remit of the EAU-RF is to stimulate and coordinate basic, translational and clinical researchClinical trial
Clinical trials are a set of procedures in medical research and drug development that are conducted to allow safety and efficacy data to be collected for health interventions...
by qualified ICH GCP investigators.
The EAU-RF will:
- instigate the formation of networks by establishing a scientific communication infrastructure between the EAU-RF and high-profile clinical study centres, their satellites and basic science laboratories
- initiate and organise multicentre and multinational clinical studies and basic science projects
- initiate, fund and conduct investigator-initiated trials
- identify and offer opportunities for research scholarships
- communicate these activities to European urologists and to public and private sources of funding.
The EAU-RF has created a governance structure designed to achieve its targets most efficiently. The PR and Fundraising Committee, the Clinical Research Committee, the Basic Research
Basic Research
Basic Research is an herbal supplement and cosmetics manufacturer based in Salt Lake City, Utah that distributes products through a large number of subsidiaries. In addition, their products are sold domestically and internationally through a number of high-end retailers. Dennis Gay is the...
Committee and the Scholarship Committee have been set up, and are complemented by the comprehensive trial support offered at every stage by the EAU Central Research Office - CuraTrial (http://www.curatrial.com).
History Office
The EAU History Office keeps records of old techniques, instruments, major events and significant figures in European urology, to promote interest in the history of urology. The series ‘Historia Urologiae Europaeae’, (which forms part of the European Classical Library) contains fascinating accounts of European urological history. The ‘European Classical Library in Urology’ and ‘The Art Collection’ including ‘From Ornamentation to Mutilation’, are very popular and can be ordered from the EAU web site.Publications
The EAU produces several publications that help to disseminate the latest news from the Association.European Urology, the official scientific journal
Scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...
of the EAU, is a world-class publication involving dedicated urologists and with a high impact factor (IF 5.634). The journal publishes peer-reviewed
Peer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
original articles and topical reviews on a wide range of urological issues. European Urology constantly reviews and updates its features and layout to remain innovative, keep pace with the rapidly evolving world of medicine, technology and surgery and provide the best clinical guidance, research and education for urologists worldwide. European Urology is EU-ACME accredited. It is available in print and online and reaches over 20,000 readers.
European Urology Today (EUT), the official newsletter of the EAU, reports news from the association and its committees as well as announcements regarding upcoming meetings and congress reports. All members are encouraged to contribute articles to the EUT discussing recent studies, technical developments, fellowship experiences, and other issues of interest to EAU members. EUT is published six times a year in full-colour, newspaper format and is distributed to approximately 13,000 addresses worldwide.
European Urology Video Journal
Vlog
Video blogging, sometimes shortened to vlogging or vidding or vidblogging is a form of blogging for which the medium is video, and is a form of Web television. Entries often combine embedded video or a video link with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in one take...
(EUVJ) is produced by the EAU Video Committee on a quarterly basis. Each issue includes a DVD containing 45 minutes of high-quality footage showing surgical techniques. An accompanying brochure contains the author's commentary and step-by-step description of the surgery shown in the video, thus providing the latest information on urological diseases and surgical techniques. All material is educational - common surgical techniques are shown in detail - and informative – the most recent developments regarding new technologies, devices or surgical approaches are presented.
Web site
The EAU has its own web site. Details of the Annual EAU Congress, including information about the venue, scientific programme and social events, are available on http://www.uroweb.org.In addition, the scientific programmes of all the main urology meetings, the EAU guidelines, original EAU articles (including a ‘chat’ function), a virtual school
Virtual school
A virtual school or cyberschool describes an institution that teaches courses entirely or primarily through online methods. Though there are tens of thousands of commercial and non-accredited courses available online, the term "virtual school" is generally reserved for accredited schools that teach...
, webinars and online discussions are on the EAU website.
EAU Education Office and the European School of Urology (ESU)
The ESU is part of the Education Office of the EAU. Its aim is to provide every practicing urologist and urologist-in-training in Europe with a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of all contemporary issues and most recent progress within urology.
Each year, post-graduate
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
ESU training courses, covering both general and advanced clinical and research topics, are scheduled during the Annual EAU Congress. In addition, hands-on training courses are offered in collaboration with the European Society of Urological Technology (ESUT), one of the EAU offices.
The ESU also organises and funds ESU Organised Courses. Course programmes are customised to meet the needs of local organisers and can vary in duration from 2 hours to up to 2 days. The ESU has started to arrange courses at all major national congresses.
Another initiative from the ESU involves standalone events covering recent developments, for example the annual European Urology Forum in Switzerland.
Masterclasses discussing the newest topics and latest developments in all fields of urology are held regularly. Recent masterclasses have included ‘medical treatment for urological cancer’ and ‘female and functional urology’.
The ESU has also started to build the Virtual European School of Urology. Using this new educational tool, both residents and urologists will be able to access on-line CME accredited training. All ESU activities are EU-ACME accredited.
Residents
The ESU organises the European Residents Education Programme (EUREP) course, an educational activity designed for European senior urology residents, in collaboration with the EBU. The course offers a series of teaching modules, after which an EBU examination can be taken. The EAU supports residents in terms of registration, travel and accommodation.Political commitment
The European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
strives to improve public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
in the European Union, to prevent human illness and diseases, and to obviate sources of danger to human health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
.
To achieve a high level of health protection, close cooperation with the scientific experts is vital.
The WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
system. The WHO is responsible for providing leadership on global health
Global health
Global health is the health of populations in a global context and transcends the perspectives and concerns of individual nations. Health problems that transcend national borders or have a global political and economic impact, are often emphasized...
matters, and the EAU therefore strives to be a partner with regard to urological health issues, such as prostate and bladder cancer.