Outreach Programme Overview

Introduction

The Outreach project was initiated in 2001 in collaboration with the European School of Haematology. The background to the current programme and the results of member surveys conducted in 2002 and 2005 are included in the Outreach archive.

The current aims and objectives summarised below arise mainly from a questionnaire circulated to transplant centres in Central & Eastern Europe before the EBMT 2005 meeting in Prague. However, it has been realized that the needs of participant Outreach countries are not the same and accordingly some ideas have been added to the main survey outcomes presented in Prague. It has also been recognised that some Outreach countries (e.g. Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, etc.) have fairly established transplant programmes and may even be in a position to offer support (e.g. through twinning, exchange visits) to emerging BMT programmes in other Outreach countries.

Aims & Objectives

a) To promote the entire accreditation process - in the first instance JACIE accreditation, but also EFI and WMDA accreditation

b) To promote closer collaboration with Working Parties

c) Offer support in dealings and discussions with national authorities and legislators (documents, advocacy, etc.)

d) To improve data management

e) To support closer collaboration in nursing, including the foundation of further national groups

f) To facilitate exchange visits and educational opportunities

g) To support the establishment of new twin centres and twin projects

h) To maintain information about all Outreach activities, including funding options, on the EBMT Outreach webpage.

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STRATEGY & ORGANISATION

Strategy:

a) The EBMT is to invest know-how and experience; centres in Outreach countries are encouraged to take their own initiative in terms of suggesting the most helpful activities and through effective exploitation and utilization of domestic resources, with the aim of boosting the national transplant programme together with the assistance of the EBMT (see funding)

b) Requests/proposals for Outreach activities may come from all national societies, national representatives or from individual transplant centres and members. EBMT Corporate Patrons are also invited to propose activities which they are willing to support

c) The meeting point for larger and more complex projects/requests is the EBMT office (via the webpage). These proposals and requests will be evaluated regularly by the EBMT Outreach committee before submission to the EBMT Board

The meeting point for individual requests and offers of support from transplant centre, foundations etc. is the EBMT Exchange Board, which is a new section of the website, added in March 2007, where everyone can post offers, requests and pending events

d) Closer collaboration with EFI and WMDA on the Outreach programme will be considered

Organization, key roles & responsibilities:

EBMT members: are given the opportunity to post offers and requests on the EBMT website. All members will also have the right to propose ideas to the Outreach Committee. Non-members are also encouraged to contact fellowship@ebmt.org with any enquiries, requests or proposals for assistance.

Outreach Committee (with Co-Chairs from Outreach and Western Countries): to develop the organisational framework for the Outreach programme, including the following:

• issue funding
• administrative and secretarial assistance
• EBMT Outreach webpage maintenance

Stephen Marcos Jones at the EBMT Secretariat Office has been assigned to support the Outreach Programme and would be happy to receive any questions or comments: outreach@ebmt.org

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FUNDING

Funding must be based on optimum exploitation of current sources and no additional funds can be expected at least at the very begining.

Two types of resources are required:

A) Time investment (Committee members, EBMT Secretariat, project partners etc.):

• investigating funding/resource options
  
• development of project proposals
  
• review and evaluation of projects
  
• maintenance of the EBMT Outreach webpage

B) Financial assistance:

1. National initiatives: In collaboration with national societies it should be considered whether some events, aimed particularly at accreditation issues, might be held together with regular national meetings in Outreach countries, e.g. as part of the educational programme or as pre-meeting study courses etc. Many meetings have been held regularly for many years, many EBMT speakers are invited anyway and maybe some small reconsideration of the programme might be helpful for the accreditation process without the necessity of additional financial backing.

Also leading persons of Working Parties might be invited to these meetings not only to deliver a personal presentation but also to introduce the programme of the WP and to promote the collaboration of the particular country and its transplant centres.

Data management training courses might be held as part of these meetings if required.

A similar policy should be considered for other regular and official meetings held in Eastern countries, like immunogenetic, transplant etc. meetings. Closer collaboration with EFI and WMDA office could be helpful concerning the accreditation process.

2. Local and national pharma funding for accreditation: Companies should be asked for the support of the national accreditation process. There are at least 3 reasons for this:

• a company supporting the accreditation of the transplant programme may expect a positive approach of all transplant units
  
  
• a company actively and officially supporting the accreditation process in a country may expect a better position in dealing with state authorities, better public relations etc.
  
  
• successful completion of accreditation by all national transplant centres must strengthen the entire transplant programme in a country, rather than represent a potentially threatening reduction of transplant centres in case of problems with accreditation. This is also in the interests of companies

3. Local sources, local foundations etc. might be able to offer some help. In the questionnaire introduced in Prague about 60% of centres in eastern countries recognised this as a reasonable possibility.

4. Other sources, like :

• Marie Curie Actions
  
• Leonardo da Vinci
  
• Collaboration with other organisations like ESH, EHA, ASH, ASBMT etc.

After some preliminary results and firm establishment of the Outreach programme grants from EU and or other state and European institutions and foundations might be requested with the support of the EBMT.

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EVALUATION

Clear and documented data must be collected and evaluated, e.g.:

• Number of accreditation activities, courses, meetings and subsequently the number of applications submitted to JACIE (EFI, WMDA)
• Number of Working Party activities e.g. participation in studies. Number of studies conducted by Outreach centres, etc.
• Number of data management training courses; improvements in data reporting
• Number of requests/offers of single centres via the EBMT Exchange Board and their outcomes
• Number of documents prepared and advocacy initiatives to assist centres in discussions with national authorities
  
  All data, outcomes, experiences and ideas should be introduced and discussed regularly at the Annual EBMT Meetings