EVF HOW – Education in Venous Disease on the Move

EUROPEAN VENOUS FORUM

The first European Venous Forum Hands-on Workshop on Venous Disease (EVF HOW) was organized in 2010 in Larnaca, Cyprus. The format combines “state-of-the art” presentations providing up-to-date information on modern practical management of venous disease, illustrated by case management discussions and live demonstrations, and, most importantly, hands-on instruction and training on modern procedures. For the last 5 years, this combination of learning and instruction has been shown to be successful and was so again at the 6th EVF HOW, which took place in the historic Polish university city of Krakow, 22-24 October, 2015. Each Workshop is limited to 100 participants. A faculty of more than 35 ensures an unusually low learner/instructor ratio (3 : 1). The impact on the learners was significant. MCQ tests performed before and after the meeting had an 86% response rate, and the average improvement in knowledge was substantial (35%). The Workshop would influence and change almost all (91%) learners’ clinical practice in the future. This success could not have been sustained through the years without the support of dedicated faculty members and the strong commitment of industry partners. The format will be continuously refined as we develop the 7th EVF HOW, which is planned to return on 27-29 October to Limassol, Cyprus in 2016. More than 700 physicians, including the 6th Workshop and the satellite mini-EVF HOW in Georgia 2014, have now completed the course, so EVF HOW is, step by step, expanding knowledge of venous disease and its clinical management in Europe.

A Report from the 6th EVF HOW in Krakow, Poland, 2015

The 6th EVF HOW took place at Holiday Inn Hotel in Krakow, Poland, 22-24 October, 2015. This facility was excellent for our needs. Dr. Tomasz Urbanek and his local team had worked hard to make excellent local arrangements and provided excellent patients for the training. The primary reason for attendance by the majority of learners was to update overall knowledge about venous disease and its treatment (80%). In an assessment after the course, the overwhelming majority (94%) of the delegates indicated that these goals were achieved. The learners felt the workshop stations achieved all or most stated goals (93-100% at each station). Ninety-four percent stated that their overall expectations were met and 91% stated that the Workshop would change their practice in the future.
More than half of the...


View full text...