From: Neuroradiology training in EU: international survey of 31 countries within UEMS frame
Country | No. of respondents | Specialty school/fellowship in neuroradiology | How to become neuroradiologist | How to become interventional neuroradiologist | Neuroendovascular procedures performed by interventional radiologists | Neuroendovascular procedures performed by non-radiologists | INR training required |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Austria | 3 | No | No specific NR requirements or qualification. | No specific INR requirements or qualification. Certification of neuro-interventionalists and training sites based on existing modular certification concept by the scientific societies ÖGIR (Austrian society for interventional radiology) and ÖGNR (Austrian society for neuroradiology) is highly recommended. | Yes | Yes | No |
Belgium | 2 | No | No specific NR requirements or qualification. | No specific INR requirements or qualification. | Yes | Yes | No |
Bulgaria | 2 | No | No specific NR requirements or qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. | Yes | Yes | No, but it is in progress. |
Croatia | 1 | Yes | Specific NR requirements & qualification. | No specific INR requirements or qualification. | Yes | No | Yes, but no formal |
Cyprus | 1 | Yes | Specific NR requirements, but No qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. | Yes | No | Yes |
Czech Republic | 1 | No, it used to be in the past. | No specific NR requirements or qualification. | No specific INR requirements or qualification. INR is part of Interventional Radiology training. | Yes | No | No |
Denmark | 1 | No | No specific NR requirements or qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. | Yes | No | Yes: No formal fellowship is available, but training is required before independent work as INR specialist is performed. |
Estonia | 1 | No | No specific NR requirements or qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Finland | 3 | Yes | Specific NR requirements & qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. | Yes | No | Yes |
France* | 3 | No | Specific NR requirements, but No qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Germany | 3 | Yes | Specific NR requirements & qualification. | Specific INR requirements or qualification. | Yes | No | Yes |
Greece | 2 | No. But in the process of the subspecialty of diagnostic and interventional neuroradiology to be approved. | No specific NR requirements or qualification. | Specific INR requirements & qualification. The qualification is currently obtained by training in other countries that provide INR qualifications and is approved by the Ministry of Health. | No. There is a discussion that Interventional Radiologists get involved in stroke after a minimum of 9-month training. | Yes | Yes |
Hungary | 1 | Yes | Specific NR requirements & qualification. It is a secondary board examination following board exam in Radiology. | Specific INR requirements & qualification. See point 6. | Yes, after completion of the special competency license training and examination in Neurointerventions. | Yes, after completion of the special competency license training and examination in Neurointerventions. | Yes, it is a special competency license, requiring a 2 years fulltime clinical training in INR following a board exam in either radiology, neuroradiology, neurology, neurosurgery or cardiology. |
Iceland | 1 | No | Specific NR requirements & qualification. | Specific INR requirements & qualification. | No | No | No |
Ireland | 1 | Yes: no specialty school exists, but fellowship training in Neuroradiology is provided. | Specific NR requirements & qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. Must have completed 2 years of fellowship training in neuroradiology. | No | No | Yes |
Italy* | 4 | No | Specific NR requirements, but No qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. | Yes | Yes | No |
Latvia | 1 | Yes | Specific NR requirements & qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. | Yes | No | Yes |
Lithuania | 1 | No | No specific NR requirements or qualification. | No specific INR requirements or qualification. INR procedures could be performed by any interventional radiologist. | Yes | Yes. In smaller centres, cardiologists perform thrombectomy (only) in case of stroke. | No |
Luxembourg | 1 | No | Specific NR requirements, but No qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. | Yes | Yes | No |
Malta | 1 | No | Specific NR requirements, but No qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. | No | No | Yes |
Netherlands | 1 | Yes | Specific NR requirements & qualification. | Specific INR requirements & qualification. | No, except for endovascular treatment (stroke). | Yes | Yes (dedicated fellowship for INR, which can be entered by certified Radiologists, Neurologists, and Neurosurgeons). |
Norway | 1 | No | No specific NR requirements or qualification. | No specific INR requirements or qualification. | Yes | Yes | No |
Poland | 3 | No | No specific NR requirements or qualification. | Specific INR requirements & qualification (certificate provided by Section of Interventional Neuroradiology, which is a Subdivision of Polish Medical Society of Radiology). | Yes, only stroke. | Yes | Yes |
Portugal | 1 | Yes | Specific NR requirements & qualification. Neuroradiology is an independent speciality with a five-year training programme and a final examination by a national jury. | Specific INR requirements & qualification. | No. Only Neuroradiologists can perform neuro intervention. | No. Only Neuroradiologists can perform these interventions as answered previously. | Yes |
Romania | 1 | No | Specific NR requirements, but No qualification. From 2018 NR is part of specialization of Interventional Radiology. | Specific INR requirements & qualification. Mandatory training in NR and INR, and candidates must pass an exam in order to perform Neurointerventional procedures. | Yes | Yes, very few cases (neurosurgeons). | Yes, but probably no more in the future. |
Slovenia | 1 | No | Specific NR requirements, but No qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. | Yes | No | Yes |
Spain | 2 | No | No specific NR requirements or qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. | Yes | Yes | No. However, most Neuro-interventionalists have received training from Interventio-nal Neuroradiologists in Academic/University Hospitals. |
Sweden | 2 | Yes | Specific NR requirements & qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. | No | Yes | Yes |
Switzerland* | 3 | Yes | Specific NR requirements & qualification & examination. | Specific INR requirements & qualification & examination. | No (unless in a certified neurovascular centre under the supervision of a certified neuroradiologist). | No (unless in a certified neurovascular centre under the supervision of a certified neuroradiologist). | Yes |
Turkey | 1 | No | Specific NR requirements & qualification. | Specific INR requirements & qualification. | Yes | Yes | No |
UK* | 4 | Yes: no specialty school exists, but fellowship training in Neuroradiology is provided. | Specific NR requirements, but No qualification. | Specific INR requirements, but No qualification. | Not yet. (currently there are body interventional radiologists training for thrombectomy). | No | Yes |