IUPESM - into the future

IFMBE, jointly with IOMP, is a founding constituent member of the International Union for Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine (IUPESM). The motivation for the establishment of the Union in the early 80s were the following:

  • promotion of collaboration and co-operation between medical physicists and medical and biological engineers;
  • international recognition of the profession(s) through full membership of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), thereby gaining access to financial and other support for conferences, training etc. on a world-wide basis, particularly for developing countries;
  • the creation of an influential organisation internationally under an umbrella bringing together the smaller influences of IOMP and IFMBE individually.

The present

Over the years IUPESM activities have developed and currently comprise:

  • a conference co-ordinating committee to assist in the selection of the world congress sites, to negotiate the contracts and to monitor the planning of the congress;
  • an award of merit committee to honour the achievements of individuals at the world congress;
  • scientific activities in areas of overlap between MP and MBE;
  • a developing countries committee to co-ordinate corresponding activities in IOMP and IFMBE.

Relationships between IOMP and IFMBE are cordial, but it would be difficult to claim that IUPESM is fundamental in establishing or continuing that situation. The two bodies jointly sponsor and oversee the organisation of the world congresses, nominally under the auspices of IUPESM. However, the joint conference co-ordinating committee could function, in principle, without involvement of IUPESM. Apart from the world congress itself, significant efforts have been made to identify topics of mutual interest to both bodies as subjects either for international conferences or for collaboration, particularly in assisting developing countries. Despite considerable goodwill, these efforts have so far been largely fruitless.

Essentially, there has been no progress in the aspiration of IUPESM becoming a full member of ICSU, instead of its current associate member status. The creation of an influential organisation internationally, as a role of IUPESM, has not materialised in practice. Contributory factors, such as the status and relationship with ICSU and others, have been examined as part of the problems facing IUPESM.

As a response to this, we have produced an options appraisal document. It has been sent to our members for consideration and will be discussed at the General Assembly in Nice. Additionally, ICSU has decided to conduct a review of its relationship with us. The document was prepared by Professor Keith Boddy (President of IOMP) with participation from council members. Following is a brief summary of the key points.

Options appraisal

Perhaps, the most fundamental obstacle to progress nationally and internationally is the enormous diversity in the organisation and delivery of medical physics and medical and biological engineering services themselves, as well as in research and development. In some countries, departments provide all of these services on an integrated basis and the separate national organisations have fused into one. However, in many countries, a far greater fragmentation of identity and independence exists. For example, in addition to the three host organisations of the USA for the Millennium World Congress, more than half a dozen other national collaborating groups related to medical and biological engineering are cited. In contrast, medical physics is solely represented by AAPM as one of the hosts. These factors exacerbate the acknowledged difficulties of communications with national societies and of international inter-disciplinary collaboration.

The concept of organising large international meetings, in addition to the world congress, under the umbrella of IUPESM has been considered by council and is superficially attractive. However, there are serious practical difficulties. In particular, in several major fields of both medical physics and medical and biological engineering, such as radiotherapy, specialist international organisations already organise well-established conferences on a regular basis. The same is true for some topics of common interest, such as medical imaging. In addition, IOMP and IFMBE (and hence IUPESM) are both subject to financial constraints because of their modest resources, limiting their capacity to sponsor, underpin or provide seed-corn funding for international conferences.

IUPESM may be in a catch-22 situation in seeking full membership of ICSU. First, although IUPESM was advised to seek (and achieved) associate membership of ICSU in the first instance, evidently no associate has yet achieved full membership. A major determinant in successfully attaining full member status, and hence access to funding, is to demonstrate impressive programmes of joint international conferences and co operation - which we cannot afford without access to resources such as those of ICSU!

The options to be appraised in considering the future of IUPESM include the following:

  • continue with IUPESM in name only;
  • discontinue IUPESM as soon as practicable, taking into account ramifications for future world congresses;
  • continue with IUPESM and develop an action plan, the outcome of which will be the basis for a decision on its future at the Millennium World Congress;
  • amalgamate IOMP and IFMBE as IUPESM.

The advantages and disadvantages of each option are described in detail in the document and will not be repeated here. The fundamental issue to be addressed in the first instance by the memberships of IOMP and of IFMBE is whether their interests are better served by each organisation functioning entirely independently and focusing on matters specific to them, or under the auspices of a single all-embracing organisation, such as the new IUPESM.

If IOMP and IFMBE are to continue independently, the next issue is the extent to which collaboration and co-operation is necessary or desirable, if at all, including joint world congresses. If formal collaboration is considered appropriate, the next issue is whether the present IUPESM (either in its current, relatively quiescent, state or following determined efforts to revitalise it) remains a suitable organisation for the purpose or whether other (possibly less formal) mechanisms should be established and IUPESM be dissolved (and if so when).

In closing

The branch of science and its applications represented by IUPESM and its constituent organisations (IOMP and IFMBE) is gaining in importance as medicine and health care become more and more reliant on technology. This is not restricted to the highly specialised fields of medicine, but also reaches every day life where citizens will be able to monitor and maintain their health status, where the elderly people will be able to continue living in their homes independently and safely with the assistance and support of technology and where handicapped people will be integrated into society and the work force with assistive technologies.

Not for the first time, questions have been raised as to whether IUPESM continues to fulfil a useful function and has a meaningful role or should be dissolved. These are legitimate questions deserving careful consideration by the membership. Parallel to this is ICSU's review of its relationship with IUPESM, and currently we are in dialogue with them.

The road forward will be decided in Nice based on our own assessment of the options and the results of the ICSU review.

Niilo Saranummi

President, IUPESM