On June 1, 2016, three major nephrology societies signed a declaration of collaboration. The agreement sets the stage for joint work by the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the European Renal Association – European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA), and the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) to advance the profession of nephrology and to improve the care of kidney patients.
Recognizing that kidney disease is a global challenge without boundaries or borders, the organizations said in an announcement that “all available synergies should be used to fight kidney disease and improve the standard of care for kidney patients worldwide.”
“When pursuing political goals and addressing global policymakers, it is especially important to speak with one voice,” said ISN President Dr Adeera Levin, MD, of St. Paul’s Hospital and the University of British Columbia. “To shape policy it is necessary to advocate globally.”
“The information age in which we live means that networking becomes more and more vital,” said Professor Dr Andrzej Więcek, president of the ERA-EDTA, of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland. “We follow the same goal of advancing education, research, and science to achieve the highest quality care for everyone with kidney disease. Together we achieve more, so it is time to put our experience and knowledge together.”
The agreement was announced at the recent ERA-EDTA 53rd Congress in Vienna, Austria, and will be highlighted at Kidney Week 2016 in Chicago, IL, on Thursday, November 17, 2016, at 8 a.m., and during the World Congress of Nephrology 2017, April 21–25 in Mexico City, Mexico.
In finalizing a Declaration of Collaboration, the three organizations agreed to work together in 4 areas:
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Helping physicians who have just started careers as nephrologists or are considering this possibility, locally, regionally, and nationally.
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Providing kidney professionals worldwide with more consistent, complete, and up-to-date information about kidney diseases and treatments.
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Advocating to ensure access to care and to harmonize efforts to prevent and treat kidney disease worldwide.
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Creating joint initiatives to leverage the societies’ respective strengths.
The three organizations also worked to jointly define certain terms regarding efforts both between and among the organizations. A policy statement setting out a “Universal” Lexicon for Terminology is intended to frame future discussions the societies have about 1) collaborating, 2) endorsing, and 3) seeking confluences and managing conflict.
“Facilitating communication among ASN, ERA-EDTA, and ISN, this collaboration represents an important step in strengthening the discipline of nephrology,” said ASN President Raymond C. Harris, MD, FASN, of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “International cooperation improves the standing of a discipline in the world of medical science.”
