The EUGIM-Hub is the latest project from the International Working Group for Disorders of Gastrointestinal Motility and Function, the organisation behind the Chicago Classification of Oesophageal Motility Disorders, the Lyon Classification of Reflux Disease is now focusing on the comparitively neglected field of gastric, intestinal and anorectal disorders. ESCP is continuing its long-term support of this initiative.
The primary aim of the Hub is to disseminate guidelines and teaching materials concerning the performance and analysis of investigations including gastric scintigraphy, intestinal manometry and tests of anorectal function including manometry, balloon expulsion and rectal barostat. At the same time the remit of current guidelines will be expanded to include paediatric and adolescent patients.
Mark Fox, Professor at University of Zürich and Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham, who chairs the Working Group and Henriette Heinrich, Consultant Gastroenterologist at Claraspital, Basel who leads the EUGIM-Hub project has long worked closely with the ESCP. Professor Fox says:
“Until very recently there has been little consensus on the performance or analysis of these diagnostic tests. This ‘lack of agreement’ has impacted on patient care and is an important reason for the lack of progress in the management of important conditions such as gastroparesis, chronic constipation, outlet obstruction and fecal incontinence.”
This year the Working Group published a series of expert consensus papers in Nature Reviews of Gastroenterology and Hepatology that outlined the state of the art in clinical measurement. A first consensus classification for disorders of anorectal function will follow by the end of 2018. He adds:
“These important publications would not have been possible without the hard work of friends and colleagues in ESCP including Prof. Charles Knowles, Dr. Emma Carrington, Dr. Mark Scott and Prof. Carolynne Vaizey.”
The EUGIM-Hub project will make this information available in a variety of languages to clinicians and practitioners performing tests of gastric, intestinal and anorectal function in clinical practice. This, together with on-line training modules and the opportunity to interact and discuss problem cases with experts, will ensure that best practice is applied where-ever these tests are performed.
The first activity to be supported by the EUGIM-Hub is the 3rd London Masterclass: contemporary management of constipation which will involve a world class faculty, disseminate new guidelines and include information about the performance and analysis of anorectal manometry and related technologies.
Invitation to contribute
We would like to extend an invitation to any one that would like to contribute. In particular, we require faculty members prepared to translate and adapt guidelines for use in a variety of countries and health care systems. Those that take up the invitation will be invited to join us at the UEG on Sunday 21st October for the initiation of this project.
