1997 Annual Conference in Vienna
Participants of the 4th Annual Conference of the International Society for Quality of Life Research (November 5-8, 1997) were greeted with Viennese sunshine, hospitality and sacher cakes. Guests were treated to a social event at the Vienna City Hall. Over 450 participants from around the world made it a truly international affair. The conference began with six stimulating plenary papers (E Hauke, N Sartorius, R Veenhoven, J Siegrist, D Fairclough, and L Fallowfield) that addressed quality of life issues from the perspectives of health care systems and psychological and social sciences. The scientific sessions included 289 oral papers and 153 posters. To accommodate this explosion of quality of life activity, the organizers arranged up to six concurrent sessions over a two-day period. Participants had an opportunity to meet the developers of quality of life instruments. Discussion forums were held to support collaborative networks in Asia/Australia, Europe, America and Africa. The conference ended with well-attended training workshops that covered topics on quality of life evaluation in general as well as in specific groups, using standardized and specialized instruments.
Special thanks are extended to those who worked so hard for the success of the conference. The Department of Psychiatry of the University of Vienna School of Medicine and the Ludwig Boltzmann-Institute for Social Psychiatry organized the meeting in cooperation with the Association for the promotion of Science and Research at the University Departments of Vienna General Hospital. The local organizing committee consisted of H Katschnig (Chairman), K Dantendorfer (Secretary), and committee members M Amering, B Bankier, U Demal, K Gutierrez, A Holzinger, G Lenz, D Maierhofer, N Margreiter, M Musalek, G Sachs, J Wancata and J Windhaber.
A very special thanks also to ISOQOL president M Bullinger, past presidents R Kaplan, D Patrick and founder M Staquet, and president-elect S Wood-Dauphinee.
The Scientific Program committee (Bullinger, Jambon, Katschnig, Patrick and Wood-Dauphinee) took pains to put together an interesting and varied schedule for which we are all grateful. The Scientific and Administrative Secretariat and the Mondial Congress were also essential to the success of the conference.
Finally, we want to extend our very special appreciation to the sponsors: Bayer of Austria, Bender + Co, Ebewe Arzneimittel, Eli Lilly, Geneva Initiative, Glaxo Wellcome, Janssen & Cilag Pharma, Lundbeck, MAPI, Novartis, Pharmacia & Upjohn, Pfizer, Smithkline Beecham, Vienna Convention Bureau, Vienna Academy of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, and Zeneca.