What is it about?

The European Commission in cooperation with ECORYS has launched a Clinical Exchange Programme to share knowledge and stimulate collaborations between healthcare professionals within the ERNs.

The aim of the ERN Exchange Programme is to harmonize specific knowledge and reduce gaps in expertise. The basic idea is to transmit expert knowledge either by experts visiting other sites or by on-site training of junior professionals at experienced ERKNet centres.

Starting in March 2021, 44 one-week visit packages will be available to healthcare professionals from ERKNet member or Affiliated Partner centers over the coming two years.

The programme is open to clinicians and other groups of healthcare professionals (e.g. nutritionists, specialized nurses and technicians) and invites both junior trainees and senior experts. Both the visitors and the hosts have to be members of ERKNet member or Affiliated Partner institutions.

Facts about the visit packages:

• A total of 44 visit one-week funding packages are available to ERKNet
• Each package includes travel expenses plus 5*200€/day for accommodation and other expenses
• Packages can be combined to allow two or more professionals (e.g. from different fields of speciality) to travel to the same hosting centre.
• For longer trips, 2-4 packages for one person can also be combined. The maximum stay is up to 4 weeks. 

We are envisioning two typical scenarios for this programme:

1) A senior clinician expert from an ERKNet member centre is invited to visit another ERKNet member of Affiliated Partner centre for one week to share specific expertise, e.g. in lectures, ward rounds and rare disease outpatient clinics. The expert could be accompanied by 1-2 other specialists from other fields (e.g. nephropathologist, lab expert, specialized nurse, etc.)

2) A fellow or junior nephrologist/pediatric nephrologist from an Affiliated Member centre travels to a renowned ERKNet member centre to receive hands-onsite training.