BACKGROUND: The widely recognized burden of liver diseases makes training in pediatric hepatology (PH) imperative. The aim of this survey, which was part of a global survey on training in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition (PGHN) across Europe, was to assess the PH and liver transplantation (LT) infrastructure, staff and training programs in PGHN training centers. METHOD: Standardized questionnaires were collected from training centers via the presidents/representatives of the National Societies Network of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) from June 2016 to December 2019. RESULTS: A total of 100 PGHN training centers participated in the survey (14/100 were national referral centers in PH and/or LT). Dedicated PH clinics were available in 75%, but LT clinics in only 11%. Dedicated beds for PGHN inpatients were available in 47/95 (49%) centers. Full-time or part-time specialists for PH care were available in 31/45 (69%) and 11/36 (31%) centers, respectively. Liver biopsies (LB) were performed in 93% of centers by: a PGHN specialist (35%); an interventional radiologist (26%); a pediatric surgeon (4%); or a combination of them (35%). Dividing the annual number of LBs in the centers performing LBs by the number of trainees gave a median (range) of 10 (1-125) per trainee. Transient elastography was available in 60/92 (65%) of centers. CONCLUSIONS: The survey highlighted the differences and shortcomings in PH training across Europe. ESPGHAN should take initiatives together with National Societies to ensure the acquisition of PH knowledge and skills according to the ESPGHAN curriculum.An infographic is available for this article at: http://www.annalsgastro.gr/files/journals/1/earlyview/2022/Infographic-Hepatology-training-paper.pdf.

Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Birmingham United Kingdom

Department of Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition Ljubljana University Children's Hospital Ljubljana Slovenia

Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital Rotterdam Netherlands

Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology Leuven University Hospital Leuven Belgium

Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine University Medical Center Ulm Ulm Germany

Department of Pediatrics Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Greece

Department of Pediatrics Medical University of Graz Graz Austria

Department of Pediatrics Saint Marina University hospital Varna Bulgaria

Department of Pediatrics University Hospital Motol Prague Czech Republic

Department of Translational Medical Science Section of Pediatrics University of Naples Federico 2 Naples Italy

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 1st Department of Pediatrics University of Athens Agia Sofia Children's Hospital Athens Greece

Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition University Children's Hospital Basel Switzerland

Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology Department of Pediatrics Ankara University School of Medicine Ankara Turkey

Pediatric Gastroenterology Unit Department of Pediatrics Hadassah University Hospitals Jerusalem Israel

Pediatric Gastroenterology Unit La Fe University Hospital Valencia Spain

Pediatric Gastroenterology Unit University Hospital Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda Madrid Spain

Pediatric Institute Clinic University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary

Pediatric Liver Center King's College Hospital London United Kingdom

Unit of Gastroenterology Hepatology Nutrition Diabetes and Inborn Errors of Metabolism Children's Hospital Toulouse University Hospital Toulouse France

University Hospital Center Zagreb Division for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition and University of Zagreb School of Medicine Zagreb Croatia

Vilnius University Clinic of Children's Diseases Vilnius Lithuania

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Association of training standards in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition in European training centers with formal national recognition of the subspecialty: a survey of the ESPGHAN National Societies Network 2016-2019