The aim of the ERN Exchange Programme was to harmonize specific knowledge and reduce gaps in expertise. The basic idea was to transmit expert knowledge either by experts visiting other sites or by on-site training of junior professionals at experienced ERN RARE-LIVER centres.
For ERN RARE-LIVER the program was a great success, sending a big number of professionals to various University Hospitals all over Europe, like the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Germany and Poland. Initially planned to spend 44 exchange packages, ERN RARE-LIVER actually could spend much more packages because other ERNs took less advantage of the program. Additionally, meetings like the Portal Vein Thrombosis Meeting (PVT) in Paris in November were supported by the program.

The programme will end in January 2023. Time for a review:

Marco Senzolo, Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist of University Hospital in Padua:
“This PVT meeting was a good opportunity to meet the most important experts in the world, to discuss about these rare clinical liver conditions and to exchange future perspectives of the cure of the disease.”

Juan Carlos García-Pagán, Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona, Spain:
“Through this program we learned a lot about rare liver diseases. It is an interesting program that allows the interchange of people, especially by rare disorders which are not very interesting for pharmaceutical companies and so it is hard to get financial support. It is a tremendously good initiative to support this kind of meetings and networking. This clinical exchange program should absolutely be continued in the future, because I think it is essential to support this kind of initiatives, especially in rare disorders of any type when there is no drugs or specific support from the industry without this kind of interchange it would not be possible.”

Virgínia Hernández Gea, Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona, Spain and EASL Representative: “The PVT meeting was a fantastic opportunity, to meet face to face with all the experts, which were here. I learned a lot about controversies, new challenges and research in the future. This program should definitely be continued, because it allows interaction between different centres with different practises and problems. It makes everyone aware of it and gives the opportunity to learn new things and collaborate together.”