STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The Steering Committee met during the Nordic Gastroenterology Meeting in Reykjavik 13.6.96. Otherwise Steering Committee meetings have been arranged 27.11.96 in Oslo, 19.3.97 in Gothenborg, and 29.5.97 in Copenhagen.

On behalf of SAGIM President Einar Husebye have negotiated with Janssen-Cilag and concluded agreement on continued main sponsorship by Janssen-Cilag, including a basic funding of the organisation and optional support in relationship to specific activities. During this period it concerns the SAGIM Workteam on Computerised Manometry, the production of new SAGIM posters, and the SAGIM Presymposium in Odense with printing of Proceedings.

Newsletters were distributed to all members in October/November 96 and in April 97, including a report from the 8th European Symposium on Gastrointestinal Motility in Copenhagen. A separate information was sent to the members in spring 97 with the final program and registration form for the SAGIM Presymposium in Odense 97.

SAGIM was represented by the SAGIM Workteam at the UEGW meeting in Paris in November 1996 with a poster on computer analysis of contractile properties in small bowel. SAGIM was represented at the 8th European Symposium on Gastrointestinal Motility in June 1996 as indicated by the report.

Guest Lecture at the SAGIM Motility Session during the Nordic Gastroenterology Meeting in Odense in June 1997: Gastric emptying and pacing by Hasse Abrahamsson, Gothenborg.

A Norwegian Motility Teaching Day is planned in Norway during the Autumn of 97 in co-operation between the Gastroenterology department at Haukeland Hospital and Norwegian SAGIM, with support from Janssens Cilag.

Participation of SAGIM representatives in educational activities arranged by other organisers is not listed.

A database including Scandinavian experts who are capable of providing profession lectures in the field of GI Motility has been established. This database also includes information regarding the different motility groups in Scandinavia, their topic of interest, and current activities and resources for education.

The database is now distributed to the Steering Committee members in each Scandinavian Country, and feasible outprints will be enclosed in a forthcoming Newsletter.

Members can contract the National representative to ask for a particular search in this database. The intention has been to facilitate and promote educational activities in Scandinavia.

The steering committee are now in the process of planning a SAGIM course based primarily on Scandinavian expertise for gastroenterologist, medical and surgical, pediatritions, and other clinical doctors specialising in this field. The outline of the course is finished. Methodology and clinical application will be highlighted.

The first course is scheduled to autumn 1998 in Goethenborg.

SAGIM arranged a one day Presymposium on Wednesday 11th of June in connection with the Nordic Gastroenterology meeting Odense 12. - 14. of June 97. The focus of the meeting concerned the use of computer technic for the analysis of manometrical recordings, and the clinical usefulness of manometry for detecting dysfunction and selecting appropriate therapy for oesophageal and small bowel motility disorders.

Five invited speaker gave lectures, followed by a session with groups and plenum discussions. Two lectures concerned results obtained by the SAGIM Workteam on Computerised Manometry on the comparison of three different computer programmes for the analysis of small bowel motility.

A book was prepared for the meeting including articles written by the lecturers and distributed to the participants at the meeting.

Ninety were preregistered through the invitation in the announcement for the Nordic meeting and the separate invitation to SAGIM members.

The workteam includes eight members in two subgroups: computer analysis and visual analysis. Einar Husebye is chairman. Members are:

Computer analysis group: Michael Bondo Andersen and Lars M Jensen, Danmark; Tom Bombeck Håkan Andersson, Sverige; Kenneth Rutz, Danmark; Roland Widmer, Tyskland; Einar Husebye, Norge.

Visual analysis group: Søren Kruse-Andersen, Denmark; Karsten Kraglund, Danmark; Per Hellström, Sverige; Einar Husebye, Norge.

Preliminary results have been presented at the AGA meeting 1996 and at the UEGW meeting in Paris in November 1997 (cf. footnote 1). The results from comparing computer programmes were also presented at the SAGIM Presymposium in Odense, and referred to in the published Proceedings. The results will be published in a scientific journal. Visual analysis is in progress.

Members have been encouraged to submit motility abstracts to this meeting, and a travel grant of 3000.- to each one who presents an abstract has be given priority by the steering committee in order to promote activity within this field.

Two sections with oral free paper presentations were included in the SAGIM Motility Session includes free paper presentations and an invited guest lecturer (cf. educational activities).

SAGIM has been represented by Hasse Abrahamsson during this period.

Einar Husebye is members of the current steering committee, which now plan for the next European Motility Meeting in Maastricht 28. - 31.10.98. SAGIM member names and addresses will be provided to the European Society, so that the announcements for this meeting can be sent directly.

Based on the success with the SAGIM folder, the Steering Committee has prepared new SAGIM posters, to be used in connection with meetings to present SAGIM, and to facilitate and promote the recruitment of new members.

The poster was presented first time during the SAGIM Presymposium and the SAGIM Motility Session during the Nordic Meeting in Odense 97.