by
Sean Ruck, Contributing Editor | February 25, 2016
From the January/February 2016 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
In advance of ECR 2016 taking place in Vienna, March 2 – 6, HealthCare Business News spoke with Professor Katrine Åhlström Riklund while she was attending RSNA 2015 to find out about the upcoming ECR, and about how it feels to be the last ECR president.
HCB News: How did you get involved in health care?
KAR: I decided when I was quite young to study medicine. I decided not to go into any other business. I was very curious about everything and the only way to learn about humans, how to treat them, was to go to med school.
HCB News: How did you get involved in ECR?
KAR: I decided to go into radiology in the middle of med school because I came into research that I found very interesting. My work with ECR: I was on the National Delegation of Education committee. I got asked to be chairman of the finance committee. Later, the chairman of the Congress Committee. I started in education, continued in finance, now I will be the last president of the Congress. After my time as president, the president of the society will have the main responsibility for Congress. Previously, it was a separate organization for more than 20 years.
HCB News: What are the main initiatives you’re championing as president?
KAR: Organizing the Congress is very well-structured. Our scientific program has 17 subspecialty committees. I have the opportunity to put my flavor on the Congress and I’ve focused on hybrid imaging. In the past we have had courses, and more, about hybrid imaging, and lectures about using it in all different organ areas. But we’ll have more hybrid imaging information than previous years. It’s ,happening at RSNA, too — a lot more hybrids.
HCB News: What are the key challenges facing your members today?
KAR: Financing influences the radiology work. As resources for health care diminish, so do the resources for radiology. There is also technical development happening very fast, and new information being learned with it. To have safe and upgraded imaging, we need to have upgraded equipment.
Finances are squeezed, yet the need for radiology is increasing. It is definitely a part of personalized health care. There is a great need for radiology and a need to train professionals. It is a serious challenge for radiology to be able to do what we need for patients. We work on providing that education however we can. We have managed to help people who have not managed to go to the Congress — we offer an Electronic Congress, for example. Almost all talks are available during the Congress and one month following the Congress. For ECR live we had almost 7,000 attending.
