A brief review of the ME/CFS symposium and networking meeting for healthcare professionals and health and social professions
ME/CFS is a severe, neuroimmunological multisystem disease.
As the most severe form of post-Covid, the number of people affected is increasing and with it the practical and scientific relevance of ME/CFS, for which other triggers are also known.
The ME/CFS symposium and networking meeting will shed light on the basics as well as on current scientific findings. The event is also intended to contribute to the networking of physicians who treat patients with ME/CFS.
The event is a cooperation of the Austrian ME/CFS Society, the Department of Primary Care Medicine, Center for Public Health at the Medical University of Vienna and the Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology at the Medical University of Vienna.
We are also particularly proud of our comprehensive hygiene concept to ensure a safe on-site event. In addition to the van Swieten Hall's central ventilation system, 14 mobile HEPA filters were used throughout the event, and FFP2 masks were recommended, which were worn by around half of the participants. The buffet was held outdoors in front of the van Swieten Hall. A big thank you goes out at this point to the ÖG ME/CFS and the IGÖ (Interessengemeinschaft Gesundes Österreich) as well as the Department of Primary Care Medicine for providing the HEPA filter devices.
Fortunately, there was a great deal of interest in this important event, with over 110 people taking part in total, which was around twice as many people as originally expected.This also shows the great importance of the topic for many doctors, nurses and health and social care professionals in their daily care routine, not least due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
We very much hope that this symposium and networking meeting will be a prelude to further events and a strong network for the care of ME/CFS sufferers!
Many thanks also to the Ströck company for sponsoring the buffet!
Here you can find a few pictures of the event.
The welcoming address was given by Prof. Dr. Anita Rieder (Vice Rector for Teaching and Head of the Center for Public Health, MedUni Vienna), Prof. Dr. Ursula Wiedermann-Schmidt (Head of the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology at MedUni Vienna) and the Board of the Austrian ME/CFS Society, Astrid Hainzl and Kevin Thonhofer.
The program was led by the two (together with the ÖG ME/CFS) organizers Univ.-Prof. PD Dr. Kathryn Hoffmann, MPH and Assoc.-Prof. PD DDr. Eva Untersmayr-Elsenhuber.
The brilliant presentations were given by: Dr. Michael Stingl (Facharztzentrum Votivpark Vienna), Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Carmen Scheibenbogen (Institute for Medical Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin), Dr. Maria Teresa Ferretti (Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Sex- and Gender-Specific Medicine, Universities of Bern and Zurich), Dr. Francisco Westermeier (Biomedical Analytics, FH Joanneum Graz), Assoc.-Prof. PD DDr. Eva Untersmayr-Elsenhuber (Institute for Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, MedUni Vienna) and Univ.-Prof. PD Dr. med.
and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, MedUni Vienna) and Univ.-Prof. PD Dr. med. Kathryn Hoffmann, MPH (Department of Primary Care Medicine, Center for Public Health, MedUni Vienna).
The symposium documents will be made available to participants.
Employees and students of MedUni Vienna can look up and read the symposium in the form of a Moodle seminar under the following link:
Password: mecfs
Review of the program
Friday, 1. September 2023, 14:30 – 17:30, Van Swieten Saal, MedUni Vienna
The target group of the event were medical professionals.
Participation in this event was accredited with 2 DFP by the Medical Association of Vienna.
Contact:
Program
14:30 - 14:45
Welcome
14:45 - 15:00
Basics and therapy options for ME/CFS
Michael Stingl, Specialist Center, Votivpark Vienna, Austria
15:00 - 15:15
ME/CFS mechanisms and clinical studies
Carmen Scheibenbogen, Institute for Medical Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
15:15 - 15:30
Sex and gender aspects in neurological disorders
Maria Teresa Ferretti, Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Sex- and Gender-Specific Medicine, Universities of Bern and Zurich, Switzerland
15:30 - 15:45
Endothelial and metabolic dysfunction in ME/CFS
Francisco Westermeier, Biomedical Analytics, FH Joanneum Graz, Austria
15:45 - 16:00
Changes in the immune system in ME/CFS and post-Covid
Eva Untersmayr-Elsenhuber, Institute for Pathophysiology
and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, MedUni Vienna, Austria
16:00 - 16:15
Care without care structures: squaring the circle for people with ME/CFS in Austria
Kathryn Hoffmann, Department of Primary Care Medicine, Center for Public Health, MedUni Vienna, Austria
16:15 - 16:30
Summary and outlook
Kathryn Hoffmann, Department of Primary Care Medicine, Center for Public Health, MedUni Vienna, Austria
16:30 - 17:30
Conclusion and networking over a cold buffet