CEFCAP PRESENTATION

 

Background and objectives
Continuing Medical Education in Allergy at the European Level

We first recognized the need to create a European structure for Continuing Medical Education (CME) in Allergy when we analyzed the responses to a questionnaire that we sent to a large number of allergists, representing the main countries of the European Union, as well as after a long discussion among 11 representatives of European countries during a symposium in Lyon, France in September, 1989.

The first European "summit meeting" devoted to CME for all medical specialties was held in March, 1990.


This General Assembly on CME strengthened our conviction that, in addition to the training provided by medical schools, there was a place for continuous training that answered the needs of practicing physicians as they were defined by the practitioners themselves.

This complementary training approach would not be in competition with that provided by medical schools. It would have characteristics distinct from those provided by these schools because of the choice of topics and the interactive group dynamics of its teaching methods.

This type of approach, on a European scale, seems particularly appropriate with respect to allergy for several reasons, among which we would note.

An analysis of the European Questionnaire on Allergy revealed a great heterogeneity in the rules related to training in allergy from one country to another, and this also affected the behaviour of allergists and, consequently, their practice.

Epidemiologic data showed a dramatic increase in incidence and prevalence of allergic diseases in developed countries such USA and Western Europe, making these diseases one of the most important public health problem. Their economic burden  is very great in these industrialized countries, and its importance will continue to grow in so far as it concerns routine outpatient care, occupational diseases, and care provided in institutional environments.

The success of our approach is provided by the fact that this body, which is now called "Comité Européen de Formation Continue des Allergologues Praticiens" (CEFCAP) has received the endorsement of two well known European Societies,  the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), and the European Union of Allergists.

Following this endorsement, the CEFCAP took part in the creation of the EAACI’s Committee on Education and the Specialty of Allergy, a new group which gave European allergists the chance to consider their specialty’s needs.

Some of the members of the CEFCAP are currently participating in the  in the EAACI CME Accreditation Council and the UEMS section of Allerogology.


CEFCAP and the Internet

The interactive CME program lead the members in charge of CEFCAP to take advantage of the possibilities offered by the Internet, including e-mail, mailing lists, discussion forum, exchange of documents and, especially, Web information pages.

Statuts and list of the Members of the Board

Available on demand with the General Secretary.