The core aims of the ESCP Research Committee are:
- To deliver better care for patients through the promotion and support of clinical and translational research in all areas of coloproctology
- To broaden engagement of ESCP members across all countries in clinical and translational research
- To develop platforms and infrastructure support for international studies
- To make the ESCP the leading global organisation for multinational colorectal surgical research
To deliver these core objectives, the committee will:
- Provide an annual symposium to promote new European trials
- Provide resources and support for core training in basic trial design and methodology for its members
- Develop a network of trained clinicians to facilitate multi-national randomised trials and cohort studies
- Support language translation of trial protocols and submission, through ‘ethics committees’, of multinational trials between our European partners
Research Committee Update, May 2019
Charles Knowles, new Research Committee Chair, reports
The ESCP research portfolio moves from strength to strength and I am honoured to have taken over its chairmanship from Professor Dion Morton at the start of this year. I would like to start by thanking Dion for his vision, direction and hard work in getting research within the ESCP to where it is today.
In my view, we are now the predominant surgical society in the world in directly funding and facilitating research with a global reach (in any specialty). I evidence this bold statement by:
1) Our ever expanding portfolio of randomised trials and cohort studies
ESCP trials:
- EAGLE: quality improvement study for anastomosis at right hemicolectomy with ground-breaking design and international scope.
ESCP cohort studies:
We have built on the highly successful snapshot audits to develop prospective longitudinal designs:
- PROPHER: International prospective cohort study of parastomal hernia repair with patient-reported outcomes
- RESET and MIRCAST: ESCP-supported cohort studies looking at outcomes after robotic approaches to colorectal surgery
ESCP snapshot audits:
- MASC: Management of patients admitted with Acute Severe Colitis, including progression to colectomy; in collaboration with European gastroenterology community
- DAMASCUS: diverticular abscess management
- Robotics: parallel snapshot audits alongside the RESET and MIRCAST cohort studies
Interested clinicians are warmly invited to sign-up to the ESCP newsletter and Twitter for invitations to participate.
2) Our expanding engagement around the globe in these studies
Our previous audits have reached almost 50 countries and some have recruited over 5,000 patients. These have included several countries outside Europe and we are building relationships with these and others to further develop membership of ESCP and trial recruitment. EAGLE will trail blaze this ambition. In recognition of the importance of this ambition, Dion has kindly stayed on as Global Research Lead on the ESCP research committee.
3) Our increased industry funding and support
We have been very fortunate to build collaboration arrangements with several industry sponsors who are helping fund some of the major trial initiatives above via unrestricted educational grant awards. You know who you are - thank you.
4) The quality and success of research sessions at our annual meeting in Nice, September 2018
In Nice, we were able to run our usual sessions (new trials, completed international trials) as well as a new ‘research methodology’ symposium. This proved to be very well attended despite being on the Friday morning and generated much discussion on the RCT vs. observational argument and potential for trials within cohorts (TWiCs). It was noted that ESCP is at the forefront of surgical trial design with examples of adaptive and sequenced RCT designs as well as enhanced cohort designs. This symposium will be repeated this year in Vienna where we will further explore the potential to improve delivery and efficiency of RCTs as well as revisit other alternatives.
In addition, Vienna will host our first Global Surgery Session. This will showcase the work of the Lancet Global Surgery Commission and feature speakers from Africa and Asia.
I would like to thank my new Vice-Chair, Professor Tom Pinkney and all members of the ESCP research and cohort committees for their time and dedication including those who are new, those demitting office. The Research Committee is looking forward to further advances in colorectal care and research in 2019.
Charles Knowles
Research Committee Chair, on behalf of the Research Committee
