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, November 2022
Thomas Pinkney, New Chair of Research Reports
The ESCP research portfolio moves from strength to strength and this year has been busier than ever. We have a many new committee members representing all areas of Europe, young and older and male and female. We also have our first PPI committee rep. Our website presence is expanding with major updates to the trials map and we have instigated further infrastructure to address our work with industry and global ambitions. These measures are reflected in a phenomenal portfolio of studies which I highlight below:
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 cluster randomised design and international scope. Now recruiting with more than 350 centres signed up in 55 countries worldwide.
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 treatment with digital and personalised 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 this study has now closed with over 700 patients recruited of whom at least 200 underwent colectomy.
- 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 to follow-up on Twitter for more information on how to participate.
2) Our expanding engagement around the globe in these studies
With the ongoing leadership of Dion Morton, we now have a ‘nascent’ global committee to reflect ESCP’s increasing presence around the world in both research and education. This committee has started to meet regularly and is building an exciting future global agenda for our society. In Vienna we hosted our first Global Surgery Session to showcase the work of the Lancet Global Surgery Commission.
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 again for your ongoing commitment to ESCP.
4) The quality and success of research sessions at our annual meeting in Vienna, September 2019
In Vienna, we were able to run our usual sessions (new trials, completed international trials) as well as to consolidate the success from Nice of our new ‘research methodology’ symposium. This proved to be very well attended despite being on the Friday morning and generated much discussion around issues of bias in surgical research as well as novel ways of improving trial efficiency and recruitment. It also further reinforced the position of ESCP at the forefront of surgical trial design. This symposium will now form a regular part of our annual meeting and will be reinforced by linking a curriculum of research methodology to regional educational events throughout the year.
Finally, I would like to thank all members of the ESCP research and cohort committees for their time and dedication including those who have demitted office this year. I would especially like to thank my vice-chair Professor Tom Pinkney and his team in Birmingham for keeping the show on the road despite the increasing pressure caused by our expanding ambitions.
The Research Committee is looking forward to further advances in colorectal care and research in 2020.
Thomas Pinkney
Research Committee Chair, on behalf of the Research Committee
