"Choose wisely & Do no harm"

By professor and senior physician Carsten Reidies Bjarkam, Head Organizer, SNS2024

Dear Colleagues

We live in exciting times with new technical and scientific advances popping up on a daily basis enabling us to treat more and more patients and diseases. However, the art of medicine also requires deeper considerations on the real value of the treatments offered compared to the natural course of the underlying disease, the real gain in clinical effect, and the associated procedure complications. Accordingly, the American Medical Association has estimated that 30% of the public health costs in USA are used on diagnostics and treatments that have limited effect and even may do more harm than good! Scandinavia is not USA, but in my own practice I often ask myself did surgery really benefit this patient? Could time and resources have been better spent? As the public health costs are steadily increasing in Scandinavia and shortage on staff and money is becoming more and more prevalent, we need to ascertain cost-benefit of our treatment procedures for the sake of our patients and our societies.

The main theme of SNS2024 will accordingly be “Choose wisely & Do no harm” where prominent speakers from Scandinavia and abroad will provide up-dated knowledge on the “real” value of our treatment procedures within the subspecialities of neurosurgery and -radiology.

The important field of neuronursing has in my view often been neglected although proper assistance and care is fundamental for successful operations and treatment outcome. SNS2024 will have special focus on this area with special lectures and sessions focusing on the nursing concepts “Fundamentals of Care” and "Shared decision making".

I foresee 3 exciting days with amble opportunities for important discussions and knowledge exchange at the congress venue and connected exhibition area, and at our social events Monday and Tuesday evening.

I look forward to welcoming you all in Aalborg, Denmark, June 3^rd to 5^th 2024.