Notes from the meeting of representatives of the Nordic network of behavio(u)ral medicin.

The meeting was held in Melbourne, December 8, 2016 in combination with the 13th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine

Participants:

Mette Terp Hoybye: methoy@rm.dk the Danish Society of Psychosocial Medicine

Christopher Sundström: christopher.sundstrom@ki.se

Sakari Suominen: Behavioral Section of the Finnish Society of Social Medicine

The language of the meeting was set to be Scandinavian. Sakari Suominen agreed to take notes and it was agreed that they would better be in English. All the participants agreed that there is a need for annual Nordic workshops or seminars within the field of behavioral medicine.

All the participants agreed to send within a rather short time scope Sakari Suominen a short written report of the situation of behavioral medicine in their countries. This should include a short description of the society or association they themselves represent and their activities added with contact details that in practice could be details to the Chair and the Secretary. Moreover, the report could include name and some contact details to another or other societies in their country that also partially work within the sphere of behavioral medicine. Naturally, Sakari Suominen will also give a report of the situation in Finland.

Since we, however, already are in December 2016 it seemed unrealistic to be able to call together a workshop for next spring. As spring more than autumn was held as a suitable season for the workshop, spring 2018 was set as the time goal for when the next workshop could be held. Sakari Suominen had attended a meeting arranged by the Swedish Behavioral Medicine Society in Alnarp in spring 2016 and had found the program excellent with regrettably few participants and especially limited Nordic representati among these. At its best the workshop could stimulate concrete research collaboration between the Nordic countries which show many similarities as e.g. the possibility for registry based health research. The Nordic societies could also inform about their present meetings, symposia and seminars better than today is the case. These Nordic meetings might attract participants from other Nordic countries, as well. Iceland is very much invited to take part in the work of the network. However, since Iceland lacked representation in the meeting, Egil Fors was given the task of clarifying the situation in Iceland via his Icelandic contacts.

Although there is no need of extensive funding for organizing an annual Nordic network meeting smaller costs are nevertheless inevitable. As the Nordic network lacks an economy of its own all the participants are also asked in combination with their incoming report to come up with alternatives from where funding could be applied. The report could also include mentioning of ‘competing Nordic societies’ should such exist.

The next meeting of the Nordic network was set to take place either in combination of the Nordic Public Health Conference in Århus next August. Unfortunately the date for Abstract submission for that conference has already been passed.  Another possibility for the next Nordic meeting to take place would be the next European Public Health Association Conference in Stockholm in November 2017 to which abstracts still can until February be submitted.