Committee Reports
Electronic Communications Committee: Important Update
The Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) provides oversight for two major ISTM activities, the TravelMed listserv and the ISTM website. Both have undergone significant enhancement effective immediately, and it is important that you read what is below as well as follow the explicit technical instructions enclosed separately in this mailing.
Website. There are more than 20,000 total visitors and 15,000 unique visitors a month to our website www.istm.org, 8,000 of them visiting the Clinic Directory. Many of you have already seen the updated "look and feel" of the website.
Beginning immediately there is a "Members Only" section of the website. Access is by password only (see enclosed instructions). The new state-of-the-art web-enabled SQL-server database will take over all of the administrative functions of ISTM. Members will be able to do the following online:
- Renew their membership.
- Change information in their membership listing.
- Change information in their Travel Clinic Directory listing, if applicable.
Members will be able to make changes as often as they wish.
The actual ISTM Travel Clinic Directory will remain open to the public as it is now. Members must update this listing separately from their membership listing; for some members their public clinic location is different from where they receive mail and other communications.
Membership listings will show committee memberships and CTH certification, and will allow options to join TravelMed listserv and to receive a printed version of NewsShare. The Members Only section will also contain the online Journal of Travel Medicine, the TravelMed listserv archives, and a searchable ISTM membership directory.
TravelMed. The TravelMed listserv is a closed list electronic discussion forum which provides private discussion space for ISTM members. It allows members to discuss interesting or troublesome clinical cases and new research and clinical developments, and to identify travel medicine resources on a global basis. The 450 current subscribers are based in more than 40 countries and the discussions are lively and informative. One or more subscriber always seems to have the requisite expertise needed or lives in or is experienced with a locale under question.
Existing TravelMed listserv subscribers have already had their TravelMed e-mail addresses matched to their e-mail addresses in the membership database (a slightly painful process for some) and need do nothing at this time. Because the whole system is database driven, each ISTM member will be able to use only one e-mail address for ISTM member functions such as e-mail notices, TravelMed, and listing in the membership directory. Those that have listings in the public Travel Clinic Directory will still be able to list an independent e-mail address in that Directory. ISTM members who want to join TravelMed for the first time need only use the online checkbox when they go to their membership listing.
ECC member Phil Scappatura has collated into archive files all listserv discussions since 2001, and has sorted them by topic. These files are now available in the "Members Only" section of the ISTM website. This will lend permanence to some very high level discussions on hot topics in travel medicine and will act as an ongoing resource.
ISTM E-mail Directory
Secretariat in Atlanta: istm@istm.org
ISTM European Office: europe@istm.org
Editor, Journal of Travel Medicine: jtm.editor@istm.org
NewsShare Editor: newsletter@istm.org
GeoSentinel, ISTM global surveillance: geosentinel@istm.org
Certification Examination: exam@istm.org
ECC Committee Members are: Sam Lanfranco, Steven Denny, Doug Quarry, Phil Scappatura, Karl Neumann,
Andrew Jamieson and Graham Fry.
David O. Freedman, MD
Chair, ISTM Electronic
Communications Committee
Publications Committee
The publications committee is actively monitoring our excellent journal, the Journal of Travel Medicine. We coordinate closely with the Electronic Communications Committee. The journal has been freely available on-line, although shortly JTM will be available only via a "Members Only" section of the web site with password protection. We are assisting the new editor, Robert Steffen, in the transition of editorial activities to Europe. The transition has been smooth. Dr. Steffen's team of Gaby Bossard in the editor's office and Vivienne Oakes in the publisher's office are doing a wonderful job.
The Journal of Travel Medicine impact factor has dropped below one; details can be accessed at the Institute for Scientific Information website via an academic library or subscription to ISI. While our impact factor is still competitive, the publications committee wants to remind all authors of the importance of supporting JTM when they can and when it makes sense. Impact factor is determined by how often JTM articles are referenced in articles published in other journals. The publications committee urges all authors to consider referencing published JTM articles when the articles are germane to the subject material about which they are writing. Of course, we stress that the quotations should be relevant since we would never want to dilute the academic value of JTM. Likewise, in order to avoid any semblance of conflict of interest, the JTM editor will never question an author's preference of germane references. The fact remains that the more we all think of JTM and quote from our own literature, the higher the impact factor will become and the more appealing our journal will be to young talented authors. The more such authors want to publish in JTM and quote their own articles, the more the impact factor will continue to rise.
Finally, the Publications Committee is actively discussing a mechanism to make JTM access on-line free to persons residing in poor countries. If you have thoughts or opinions about such a process, please direct them to one of the committee members.
Publications Committee members include: Charles Ericsson (Chair, USA), Christoph Hatz (Vice Chair, Switzerland), Steve Ostroff (Vice Chair, USA), Vernon Ansdell (USA), Joe Torresi (Australia), Jane Chiodini (United Kingdom), and Karl Neumann (USA).
Charles D. Ericsson, MD
Chair, Publications Committee
Research Committee
The ISTM Research Committee supports travel medicine research, in keeping with the mission and goals of the society, through a peer-reviewed comprehensive process. The committee provides moderate grants (usually $5000 - $10,000 maximum) awarded at the biennial CISTM meeting. These grants are designed to stimulate travel medicine research by supporting comprehensive research projects or, for larger projects, providing support for pilot studies to enable researchers to collect data and/or test hypotheses so that they can then apply to other agencies for more substantive research grants. Grant applications are available on-line at www.istm.org.
The 2003 ISTM Research Grant Awards were announced at the CISTM8 in New York City. Best Project: "High Altitude Illness: Field Data from Nepal", Thomas Cumbo, USA. Runners-Up: "Drug Abuse among Travelers to South-East Asia", Israel Potasman, Israel; "Sexual Behavior among Travelers Visiting Iquitos [Peru]", Miguel Cabada, Peru; and "Travelers' Thrombosis", Jürgen Ringwald, Germany. These grant awards were made possible by a generous educational donation from GlaxoSmithKline, USA.
Anyone interested in becoming a member of the research committee, please contact the committee chair:
Anne E. McCarthy, MD, FRCPC, DTM&H
Director Tropical Medicine and International Health Clinic
Module G-12, Ottawa Hospital General Campus
501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1H 8L6
amccarthy@ottawahospital.on.ca
Anne E McCarthy, MD, FRCPC,
DTM&H Chair Research Committee
Report of the Travel Industry and Public Education Committee (TIPEC)
The TIPEC Committee met in New York during CISTM8. Bradley A. Connor stepped down as chairman to assume the presidency of ISTM. Karl Neumann was named the interim chairman. Present at the meeting were: Laurie Bank (US), Santanu Chatterjee (India), Pieter De Beer, (Netherlands), Assunta Marcolongo (Canada), Karl Neumann (US), Valerie Padd (US) Alan Spira (US), Kathleen Tremblay (US), and Betsy Wade (US).
At the meeting Santanu Chatterjee reported on the document created by his committee (Host Country Committee) which had been originated out of the Singapore meeting. This small, yellow, bookmark-sized handout was created for practitioners to distribute in their clinics to encourage the public to have respect for host country people and their environment. The Responsible Traveler is a regular feature on our ISTM webpage. It can be accessed under "Publications". Reprints are also available from our Secretariat office.
Martin Wolfe, MD will represent ISTM at the meeting of the Educational Travel Conference Washington, DC in February 2004. This international conference brings together the part of the travel industry which organizes trips for museum and alumni groups, Elderhostel, etc. Many of their trips go to exotic places. About 500 people attend this meeting.
TIPEC is studying new and innovative approaches for ISTM to take to interest the travel industry in taking a more proactive role in disseminating travel health information to their clients. For the most part, traditional approaches have met with little success. Such approaches have included speakers for their meetings, articles for their trade publications, access to ISTM experts in various fields, and invitations to ISTM meetings, for example. If you have any thoughts about how we can improve our approach, please send your comments to our chairman, Karl Neumann, at travhealth@AOL.com.
Practice and Nursing Issues Committee
The aims of our committee are:
- To monitor and address practice and professional issues and issues of specific relevance to nurses within ISTM, and
- To promote communication and collaboration among nurses involved in travel health worldwide.
Activities during 2003-2003:
- ISTM Nurses Survey. In December 2002, a 20-item questionnaire was sent out with the ISTM membership
renewal packets. The questionnaire was designed to gather data from the ISTM nurse membership on education and
training, practice location and scope, and current guidelines governing nurse practice in travel medicine. A
reminder was sent out via ISTM Box in February 2003. All questionnaires returned by March 2003 were entered into a database
and analyzed using SPSS. Results were presented during CISTM8.
A total of 109 questionnaires were returned with an overall response rate (RR) of 27%. Geographical breakdown comprised: USA, 59% (RR27%); UK, 15% (RR31%); Canada, 14% (RR32%); and one or two returns each from a selection of "other" countries: 12% (RR27%).
- Publication/abstract submission. Mentoring initiatives to encourage nurses to publish work and submit abstracts for NY2003 were actively pursued (in NewsShare, on the ISTM website, and in mailings). Practical help was given to a number of nurses who submitted abstracts for CISTM8.
- CEUs. There was active participation on the local organizing committee for CISTM8 in New York, including working to secure CEU credits. Approval was granted for 20 contact hours.
- Networking initiatives. A "Nurses' Welcome Meeting" was organized for CISTM8, which included securing financial support for hospitality. This initiative had been hugely successful in Innsbruck during CISTM7.
The main focus for 2003-2004 will be to bring together a list of national/regional travel health groups which will facilitate networking among the many hundreds of nurses involved in the specialty worldwide. The committee will continue to update the membership on its activities with at least two NewsShare items a year.
If you have any questions for this committee or would like to become involved in committee activities, please contact either Fiona Genasi (Fiona.Genasi@scieh.csa.scot.nhs.uk) or Rebecca Acosta (rwacosta@travelersmedical.com).
Members as of July 1, 2003
Rebecca Acosta (co-chair), USA
Fiona Genasi (co-chair), UK
Susan Bailey, USA
Lorna Boyle, UK
Jane Chiodini, UK
Sheila Hall, UK
Nancy Jenks, USA
Susan Koeman, Netherlands
Ed Lister, USA
Linda Maeland, Norway
Eeva Pekkanen, Finland
Shoko Umemura, Japan
Megan Williams, New Zealand
Professional Education & Training Committee Report
Aims of the Committee: To enhance the education and training of travel medicine practitioners.
Accomplishments in 2003: The committee was established in early 2003 and first met in May, 2003 at the CISTM8 in New York. The committee members proposed potential sites for education and training within the existing framework of travel medicine. They identified educational sites in schools and universities that offer programs in travel and tropical medicine with diploma degrees. Sites where short courses (less than a week) in travel medicine are given were recorded separately. Due to the interest by ISTM members in distant learning options, a list of such centers is currently being prepared.
Also identified were sites offering hands-on training. These sites are in hospitals/private practices or in centers where travel clinics operate and where ISTM members are willing to accept colleagues for clinical practice. The sites are divided according to their specialties into pre-travel, post-travel and migrant health care services and serve as training centers for ISTM members who have a particular interest in gaining first hand experience in the specialty area offered at a particular site. These lists serve to create a link between ISTM members and the sites. Arrangements are to be worked out between individual applicants and the centers.
The list of the sites including contact names appear on the ISTM website under "Education Opportunities", along with a brief description of each practice. Members have been invited to contact any one of these site directors if interested in pursuing on-site training. The committee members will continue their effort in expanding this list.
Our committee members have also assisted in the compilation of upcoming travel medicine conferences as well as ongoing travel medicine courses. These courses and conferences are listed on the ISTM website.
Goals for the future:
- Expanding the network of education and training centers.
- Adding a list of Grants and Funding Resources.
- "Building" a curriculum for short (weekend) ISTM travel medicine courses (CME courses). This initiative is to begin in the US and expand to other regions in the future.
- In addition, we will try writing Expert opinions/Guidelines in the area of Travel Medicine. We all know that there are different approaches and different opinions as well as different policies around the globe. Therefore, it should be done in such a way to reflect some overall consensus.
Committee members: Eli Schwartz, MD, DTMH, Israel (Chairman); Susan Anderson, MD, USA; Laurie Bank, RNP, USA; Francesco Castelli, MD, Italy; Lin H. Chen, MD, USA; George Kassianos, MD, FRCGP, UK; Peter Leggat, MD, PhD, Australia; Susan McLellan, MD, MPH, USA; Prativa Pandy, MD, Nepal; Nancy Piper-Jenks, MS, CFNP, USA
ISTM Migration Health Committee
(Editor' note: This report appeared in the previous issue of NewsShare. It is repeated here so that all 2003 reports are presented in one issue.)
The Migration Health Committee met in New York during the CISTM. Present were: Brian Gushulak (Canada), Christoph Hatz (Germany), Louis Loutan (Switzerland), Anne McCarthy (Canada), Rogelio Lopez-Velez (Spain), Elizabeth Barnett (USA), Francesco Castelli (Italy), Doug MacPherson (Canada).
Review of Activities: The meeting took place during CISTM8, a dynamic undertaking marked by several sessions, workshops, presentations and activities that reflected the increasing interest and importance of the health migrants and other mobile populations. The sessions and workshops on issues of migrant health were well attended and the quality of the presentations was impressive.
During the past year the Committee has had difficulty in completing many of the tasks it set for itself. The generation of publications and reference documents has been difficult for Committee members given their respective workloads. Reviewing the pressures of time and external commitments, some members suggested that these goals were perhaps too ambitious and the Committee should consider less complex undertakings.
It was almost universally accepted that health issues in migrant populations continue to be an area of growth and increasing interest both with ISTM and in the broader medical community. Those interests extend from issues of screening for disease in practitioner's offices to the public health principles of population mobility. Surveys of academic literature demonstrate that the amount of published material dealing with migration health is expanding, reflecting a growing number of providers, researchers and policy makers who are now involved in the subject.
Considerable discussion focused on appropriate methods of trying to meet the diverse challenges within the capacity of the Committee.
Challenges: Discussion reinforced the need for simple clear guidelines and instructions for practitioners who deal with migrants. It was noted that the relevance of health issues in migrants continues to increase, particularly for those who deal with refugees and asylum seekers.
Challenges inherent in the field are created by the significant differences and variation in migrant populations between providers and national locations. The political and social factors that affect and stimulate migration are diverse and the resulting population movements are correspondingly diverse. This makes the generation of standard reference material a complex task. For example, the screening instructions designed for a group of asylum seekers or illegal migrants from rural tropical Africa, would not be totally appropriate for similar migrants from Eastern Europe.
It was noted that Committee membership might need to be expanded or altered to expand capacity and perspective.
Issues for Action:
(a) It allows committee members to work within their direct sphere of knowledge.
(b) The products are of a size that may be easier for committee members to produce.
(c) The concept allows for continuous integrated growth of what could become a complete syllabus or reference manual on the subject.
(d) The concept allows for natural use of electronic media and easy distance learning opportunities and extension into the less developed world.
Action Plan:
It was agreed that members would, within three months develop draft presentations. The presentations will be in PowerPoint format. They will be from 10 to 20 slides and will include no more than the relevant references. The individual modules will be authored by one individual but will require the approval and adoption of a majority of the subcommittee before being considered for external use.
Following completion, the draft will be circulated to the full subcommittee for comment and adoption as a committee module. Adopted modules will be presented to the Publications and Electronic Communications Committee for consideration as a web-based component of the ISTM web site. The authors and the subjects of the initial modules:
Christoph Hatz: The Migrant Medical History
Louis Loutan: The Use of Interpreters in Clinical Situations
Elizabeth Barnett: Immunization in Migrants
Anne McCarthy: Screening for Infectious Disease
Brian Gushulak: The Phases of Migration
The process will be reviewed in one year to assess its success.
Other Business:
- New Members: The Committee welcomed Dr. Rogelio Lopez-Velez from Spain and Dr. Anne McCarthy from Canada to the group.
- Next Meeting: Subcommittee members will look for a potential venue at another event attended by several members as a site for a meeting in 2004, to try and avoid the 2-year hiatus between ISTM Conferences.
The Host Country Committee
The Host Country Committee was founded in 1999. One of the original challenges for the Committee was to define "host country," especially in the context of travel medicine and health. While all countries host travelers, the Committee decided to focus on countries outside North America, Western Europe and Australia, on countries considered "less developed" and therefore more likely to suffer from negative impacts of tourism. Such countries' economies are more fragile, with many people living in poverty and dependent on tourism, and with both people and the environment likely to be exploited. On the other hand, these are the very countries to potentially benefit enormously from tourism-related activities, if both visitors and hosts understand and respect each other. It has been the endeavor of this Committee to focus on such issues.
What are the Objectives?
- Raising awareness among both travel medicine practitioners and travelers on the impact of tourism in host countries. This includes health, social, economic and environmental aspects, with the focus on health issues as they relate to host country populations. Practitioners are in a unique position to educate travelers on particular issues. For example, travelers to Nepal and Peru can be sensitized to the issue of porter safety. Also, impact studies help Committee members identify and support projects of relevance.
- Developing links with organizations actively involved in related issues. The World Tourism Organization has extensive documents and policies on ethical travel. Smaller groups like Tourism Concern, ECPAT (End Child Prostitution in Asia) are already established as effective lobby groups and will be targeted for cooperative projects.
- Providing a platform for increased interaction and networking among travel medicine practitioners who live and work in host countries or have an interest in such issues. (Some of them are already ISTM members.) Many need support in terms of training, access to relevant information, and sponsorship. The Committee hopes to identify and fulfill these needs.
- Initiating links with other members and Committees of the ISTM (the Migration Medicine Committee, for example) on topics of mutual concern.
- Supporting the development of documents of interest that can be used to educate practitioners and travelers. One such document, "How to be a Responsible Traveler," is already available in English. It has now been translated into German, French, Spanish and Japanese by members of our Committee. For further information, contact the Chair of the Committee or the ISTM president
In summary, our primary purpose is twofold. One is to raise awareness on the impact of travel on host nations. The other is to encourage health professionals in host countries to involve themselves in the activities of our Organization and facilitate communication between the diverse membership.
We would like to hear form you.
Committee Members:
Santanu Chatterje: Chair, Host Country Committee. Consultant Physician, Travel and Tropical Medicine, Kolkata, India. Special interest: health risks, heath care and tourist behavior in host countries. sanchat@vsnl.com
Buddha Basnya: Medical Director of the Himalayan Rescue Association, Kathmandu. Special interest: mountain porter safety. rishibas@wlink.com.np
Trish Batchelor: CIWEC Travel Medicine Centre in Kathmandu, Nepal. Special interests: mountain porter safety, prevention of sex tourism. trishb@mos.com.np
Irmgard Bauer: James Cook University, Townsville, Australia. Special interest: impact of tourism on health in South America, assessment methods. Irmgard.Bauer@jcu.edu.au
Eduardo Gotuzzo: Professor Of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Lima, Peru. egh@upch.edu.pe
Martin Haditsch: Tropical Medicine and Infectious diseases Elisabethinen Hospital Linz, Austria. Special interest: supporting travel heath practitioners from less developed countries through the `Linz Initiative" martin.haditsch@elisabethinen.or.at
Sheila Hall: Independent Travel Health Advisor, TREC Scotland. Member, Tourism Concern. Special interests: training and education in travel health. sckhall@TRECtravelhealth.co.uk
Henryk Handszuh; Senior Staff, World Tourism Organisation. Special interests: social, ethical and consumer standards in tourism. hhandszuh@world-tourism.org
Mikio Kimura: National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan. Special interest: surveillance of infectious diseases in Japan. kimumiki@nih.go.jp
Assunta Marcolongo:President: IAMAT (International Organization for Medical Assistance to Travellers), Guelph, Canada. Special interests: locating travel health assistance resources abroad, curbing the spread of sex tourism. assunta@iamat.org
Steve Ostroff: Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, USA. smo1@cdc.gov
Michel Rey: Former President, ISTM, Paris, France. Special interests: assessing the impact of mass tourism on the health and development of host populations. mreysmv@easynet.fr
Albie De Frey: Co-Chair Organising Committee, Africa European Conference on Travel Medicine. Special interests: organizing medical assistance, providing support for travelers to Africa. albiedf@global.co.za
Mario Masana Wilson: National Ministry of Health, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Special interests: organizing a travel health chat group on the net. mariomasana@yahoo.com.ar
Nebojsa Nikolic:Travel health and maritime medicine consultant, Croatia. Special interest: maritime health issues. travel-medicina@ri.tel.hr
