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NEW YEAR'S MESSAGE FROM THE ESPRM
PRESIDENT & SECRETARY GENERAL

The President and the General Secretary of the ESPRΜ would like to cordially thank all involved in the European Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine for their hard work during the year 2016 for our common cause to improve constantly the quality of life in persons with disabilities throughout Europe.

We are very happy to shortly mention below some of the actions and a sample of work that has been done by all of us in the ESPRM during the year 2016.

More and detailed information with relevant photos on ESPRM actions throughout year 2016 can be found here and in the ESRPM official website http://www.esprm.net.

ESPRM Congress 2016, Estoril, April 23-28 2016

Over 1700 delegates, including key opinion leaders, from 77 countries, attended the 21st European Congress on Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine held in Estoril-Lisbon 23-28 April 2016. The congress was very successful at the scientific level and of course in number of participants. Two satellite symposia, 10 workshops, 3 schools, 42 sessions, 20 oral presentations and 13 poster sessions have been held.

Special Interest Scientific Committees (SISC’s)

ESPRM Special Interest Scientific Committees (SISC’s) are active and work constantly in their dedicated specific field of interest. Moreover during the year 2016 they were strengthened with more expert members willing to support. We have welcomed Prof. Levent Ozcakar with the new Special Interest Scientific committee “Ultra Sound in PRM” as well as Prof. Tatiana Paternostro Sluga with the committee ” Persons with peripheral nerve disorders”.

Meanwhile some candidacies have been submitted for the formation of new Special Interest Scientific Committees:

Multiple sclerosisMauro Zampolini
PoliomyelitisKristian Borg
SpasticityKlemen Grabljevec
Extracorporeal Shock wave therapyElena Ilieva


Please visit the ESRPM Website for more information on Special Interest Scientific Committees (SISC’s).

Launch of Cochrane Rehabilitation

ESPRM is very happy and proud for the Cochrane Rehabilitation recognition and official launch held on December 16th 2016. Cochrane Rehabilitation was born within the Evidence Based Committee Special interest scientific committee of ESPRM, led by Prof. Stefano Negrini, which started the creation of the Cochrane Rehabilitation Field in 2014. An exploratory meeting was held at the Centro "Spalenza-Don Gnocchi" in Rovato, Brescia (Italy) September 19th 2017.


When launching Cochrane rehabilitation on December 16th 2016, 230 collaborators from 49 countries had joined. The new Cochrane Field will promote and advocate for using the best evidence within the world of rehabilitation, including physical therapy, speech and occupational therapy, prosthetics and orthotics, psychology, adapted physical activity and sports, and pharmacological treatments, to inform clinical decision-making.

ESPRM will contribute to Cochrane Rehabilitation not only participating in reviews of PRM interest and suggesting areas of knowledge gaps which need a "Cochrane review” but also facilitating Cochrane Rehabilitation dissemination and educational activities.

The first training events will take place in Vilnius, Lithuania, at the ESPRM 2018 congress, May 1-6 2018 (http://www.esprm2018.com).

Click here for more information on Cochrane Rehabilitation official launch.

Cooperation with organizations in the field of PRM

ESPRM with the aim to increase networks, exchange and spread knowledge in the field of RPM worked eficiently and hard, throughout 2016, which resulted in fruitful cooperations with relevant Societies, Foundations and Organizations working in the specific field:

  • UGECAM
  • Don Gnocchi Foundation
  • University of Brescia
  • EFIC
  • Ramsay Health Care Group
  • EUGMS

ESPRM 2018 Congress, Vilnius, 1-6 May 2018

After the closing ceremony of the ESPRM 2016 congress in Estoril, we began immediate preparations for the next ESPRM congress will be held 1-6 May 2018 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Thanks to work of the persons involved and especially from the colleagues of Lithuanian Society of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, the needed Organizing and Scientific committees have been established and the scientific program of the conference is already well advanced.

The official website of the congress http://www.esprm2018.com was launched in December 2016 and is online and available.

A lot of work has been done in 2016 on ESPRM 2018 congress Sponsorship opportunities. The sponsorship Brochure was finalized, distributed and is available on line on the congress official website.

ESPRM Participations in National PRM congresses

ESPRM participates in many PRM congresses on a regular basis.

During the SOFMER 2016 French National Congress ESPRM participated with a Joint Session SOFMER/ESPRM «Poster Session of PRM trainees (best of posters). » Presidents of the session were, Prof. Isabelle Laffont, head of the SOFMER Scientific Committee and Prof. Alain Delarque, President of ESPRM. The SOFMER/ESPRM session of the Congress was devoted to the oral presentation of the 10 best posters proposed by PRM trainees. Click here for more information on SOFMER/ESPRM Joint Session.

The Annual Congress of the Royal Belgian Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (RBSPRM) took place in Leuven, 9 - 10 December 2016, and was devoted to the honouring of Prof. Guy Vanderstraeten of the University of Ghent and Prof. Jean-Michel Crielaard of the University of Liege. These much appreciated colleagues have been important for the development of PRM in Belgium.

Moreover, Prof. Guy Vanderstraeten contributed to an important extent to the PRM specialty across Europe during the last decades, and played a significant role in all European bodies. Therefore the slogan for the congress was “PRM for Life – A Life for PRM”. Dr. Carlotte Kiekens represented the EBM committee with a presentation of “Cochrane Rehabilitation”. Prof. Alain Delarque represented ESPRM with a lecture on “ESPRM and research activities in Europe”.

Click here for more information on this event.

White Book new edition preparations

Experts within ESRPM worked hard during the year 2016 for the White Book revision. ESPRM experts participated in Editor’s meeting held in Rovato (Brescia, Italy) 16th and 17th December 2016. After this revision the draft will be circulated to the delegates and the representatives of the European PRM Bodies in order to share the decisions about the final contents of the book. In March, in Munich, there will be a final consensus conference.

Member and Cooperative National Societies

We would like to thank all Member and Cooperative National Societies which are the core and moving power of ESPRM. During the year 2016 ESPRM strengthened bonds and cooperated closely with all Member and Cooperative National Societies. During the ESRPM General Assembly held in Prague August 24-25, 2016 we welcomed Malta Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Association as a new cooperative member:


Once again we would like to thank you all for the hard work during 2016 and your constant will to contribute, exchange knowledge and strengthen networks inside and outside of ESPRM.

Our best wishes for a happy, healthy and creative New Year 2017.

Carlotte Kiekens
ESPRM Secretary General

Alain Delarque
ESPRM President