Harmonising education: Brussels
2003
A two-day series of presentations, discussion forums and
workshops was recently hosted by the European Professions in Biomedical
Science (EPBS). The EPBS is a network of national organisations
representing biomedical scientists across Europe. The two-day event
in Brussels bought together representatives from a number of countries
including Sweden, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Portugal and France.
The representatives focused on issues of extended roles, the concept
of a European biomedical scientist, harmonising education and training
standards, EU enlargement and communication.
 Martin
Nicholson, President of the EPBS (left), said "I was delighted with
the outcomes from this event. Since 2002 we've been working on assessing
and harmonising the education of biomedical scientists in our member
societies. Degree entry to the profession is now the normal route
of entry across Europe.
The EPBS is an important forum for exchanging ideas and information
between member nations. Over the years it has supported and helped
its members to return to their respective countries and work with
government and health authorities to achieve a set of agreed minimum
standards. This is an important step towards the conception of a
European biomedical scientist."
Above: EPBS President Martin Nicholson
Harmonising education and training standards
Harmonising the education of biomedical scientists presents a difficult
challenge due to the different education, training and registration
systems across Europe. In some countries, for example, educating
institutions for biomedical scientists are not necessarily integrated
within a university structure yet this does not mean that such standards
are incomparable or weakened.
Building a common platform of agreed standards is an important
tool that allows member states with a developing biomedical profession
to progress their own national agendas of improving professional
standards by using the EPBS and European Union as reference.
The EU is concerned with proposing a more uniform, transparent
and flexible regime of recognition of qualifications. Under the
Bologna Process, EU members are working to achieve convergence in
higher education. Successful harmonisation will allow for greater
workforce and professional mobility across Europe as well as allowing
students to study abroad on exchange programmes.
Dr. Anita Hufnagl explores the challenges of reaching a common
understanding of the different education systems across Europe in
her article ‘It's a long
way: European Integration - challenge and chance’.
Harmonising education: EU Directive
The EU is currently drafting a Proposal for a Directive on the Recognition
of Professional Qualifications to clarify and simplify the rules
in order to facilitate the free movement of qualified people between
member states and resolve any with regard to recognition of their
professional qualifications. The member nations of the EPBS unanimously
agreed that all member countries had reached level D for either
variant A or B as detailed in the current working document. As stated
in the document:
“Level D corresponds to a diploma certifying
successful completion of training at post-secondary level of at
least three years' duration and not more than five years, at a university
or establishment of higher education or another establishment providing
the same level of training, as well as the professional training
which may be required in addition to that post-secondary course.”
The current working document also states that:
“Professional associations which establish
common platforms must be representative at national and/or European
level. To be considered as established at European level, a common
platform must cover at least two thirds of the Member States and
in any case all the member states which regulate that profession.
A common platform facilitates the mutual recognition of professional
qualifications, in particular where the criteria established make
it possible to compensate for the substantial differences which
may exist between the training in the various member states“.
The EPBS has now developed a platform that covers two thirds of
the member states and met with MEP Bill Miller, chairman of the
group steering the directive through the European Parliament and
Commission.
Changing roles
The roles of biomedical scientists across Europe are evolving within
the healthcare field - from ‘consultant level’ biomedical
scientists to roles in education, IT, point of care testing, management,
marketing and commerce. In Switzerland for example, biomedical scientists
are involved in the marketing and promotion of their laboratory
services to attract customers.
One recently emerging role is measuring the quality of the work
of biomedical scientists. Wemmie Elsenga in her presentation Quality
Management in Medical Laboratories looks at the role of quality
managers and ISO 9000:2000
Professor Claudia Wilfing from the Vienna Health Insurance Fund
looks at Extended Roles in Austria
which includes study-administrator/site-co-ordinator (in USA: Study-Nurse),
co-ordinator of Clinical Trials in health institutions, quality
supervisor and professional and training matters of health professions.
The EPBS is building a portfolio of the wide diversity of extended
roles developing in member nations. One conclusion reached at the
meetings was that all staff should be trained and certified in Point
of Care Testing by biomedical scientists who should also ensure
the establishment, implementation and adherence of a quality control
program.
Above: EPBS President Martin Nicholson (standing)
opens the 2003 meetings at Brussels
The next step: competencies
Following on from agree on minimum educational standards, the EPBS’s
next task is to develop a minimum level of competencies ranging
from science to management to ethics. The EPBS is building a database
of education, training, competencies and qualifications of biomedical
scientists across Europe with the aim of eventually developing a
certificate or diploma that recognises a European biomedical scientist.
The certificate would include minimum educational qualifications
and post-graduate competencies recognised by all the member states
and approved by the EPBS to be used for professional recognition
across Europe.
Acquired knowledge after graduation should be reviewed and processed
by EPBS with minimum standards proposed to the European Commission
and consequently a EU Registration for biomedical scientists established.
This outcome will not affect any current requirements of biomedical
scientists to be registered within their member state as a lawful
requirement. There are two objectives to this work: to achieve unrestricted
professional mobility within the European Union and to aid some
of the member countries in developing a process of registration
and recognition of competency within their borders.
This will be a major step forward in mapping the professional requirements
for a practising European biomedical scientist and will allow for
the eventual setting up of a European register.
Professional recognition in Europe
There is a challenge in promoting and representing a profession
that has many different titles across Europe. The EPBS will be establishing
contacts with the European Union to promote biomedical science and
bring a unified approach to EU legislation. One meeting has already
taken place with MEP Bill Miller on the proposed Directive on the
Recognition of Professional Qualifications.
European Students of Biomedical Sciences
The EPBS has set up a Students Forum and students from ten countries
were represented at the forum in Brussels to discuss ideas and initiatives
for the benefit of biomedical science students across Europe. It
is planned to set up a forum on the EPBS website to enable communication
and exchange of information. Information will also be available
on education in each of the member states and available exchange
programmes between countries.
Above: EPBS Students Forum
More information on the students’ forum will be published
on the website at a later date.
Further issues
The EPBS will also be working on other issues - developing a code
of ethics and conduct, planning for the repercussions of EU expansion
and continuing to collectively help all member states to learn form
each other’s experiences.
National representation
The following national professions were represented at the meetings
in Brussels:
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Cyprus
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
Slovakia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
If you would like to be kept informed of the work and progress
of the EPBS, you can subscribe to the free EPBS
E-newsletter.
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