The future of education in sleep science and medicine in Europe: Report of an ESRS workshop

Abstract

The European Sleep Research Society (ESRS) is the leading voice for sleep medicine and research in Europe and includes in its mission the objective to promote and develop sleep education. As part of this objective, the Society established a Multidisciplinary Task Force on sleep education, which proposed a workshop on this topic to define the role of ESRS in the future of sleep education in Europe. This includes defining the domains of operation by the ESRS, its most important links and networks, and to recognise areas for development. A concrete goal was to make an action plan with suggestions for eventual Task Forces. Recommendations from the workshop include active collaboration with other Societies and University degree courses in sleep with the objective to position the ESRS as the central focus for sleep education in Europe. Predefined learning objectives and Entrustable Professional Activities were identified as key aspects of future direction. The ESRS Textbook in Sleep Medicine provides a valuable educational resource, and the next edition should expand on the traditional format to include digital material and an integrative platform. The workshop also identified the need to develop a more compact publication to inform non-sleep specialists, university students, and interested members of the public with basic information on sleep and sleep disorders.