Main Theme VEC 2021: SUSTAINABLE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

The annual meeting of EFORT is the largest platform within European orthopaedics and traumatology (O&T) for the exchange of knowledge and experiences. To celebrate this anniversary, the EFORT Science and Education Committees have created an exceptional program for both young and experienced attendees, covering important and hot topics ranging from basic research to the daily practice of orthopaedics and trauma.

The main theme of the 2021 Congress will be “Sustainable Professional Practice.” We will provide innovative sessions on green orthopaedics, mental health and value-based health care. Additional highlights will be patient and implant safety, new registry data, as well as quality improvement, just to mention a few.

Indeed, since 2014, EFORT has featured at every annual meeting a specific congress main theme that is always aligned with the EFORT mission of improving patient care. This selected overarching topic is broadly reflected in the scientific program and is used as the driving statement for all scientific exchanges.

The concept of “sustainability” was introduced by Hans Carl von Carlowitz (1645 to 1714), a Saxonian administrator of mining industry who participated in the forestry reform and stated in Sylvicultura Oeconomica that “for the best utility of the heating, building, brewing, mining and smelting activities, careful management of sustainable forestry resources is required.” In the medical world, sustainability should be applied as the key approach ensuring that goods and services are produced in ways that do not use resources that cannot be replaced.

For instance, sustainability in O&T could address the need to keep a good mental health for surgeons, physicians, nurses and other allied health professionals, but also serve as a call for the standardized use of long-term results and patient-reported outcome measures or PROMs in patient treatment. It also should be seen as the capacity to secure sufficient public and private investments during a long period of time and the availability of continuous professional development for an improved outcome for learners. Finally, and importantly, sustainability in O&T should allow synergy among all partners via the sharing of resources and the building of local and large-scale networks.

Therefore, as EFORT seeks to advocate the long-term availability of and access to all types of resources for practitioners and patients, we look forward to delivering an extremely diverse congress program around topics endorsing this important milestone in the professional development of Orthopaedic & Traumatology experts.