New systems, formats enhance 2012 experience

The AAOS takes great pride in the high quality of educational offerings at the Annual Meeting—and the posters, papers, exhibits, courses, and symposia that will be presented in San Francisco next February may be the best ever. An enhanced application and abstract submission system implemented this year allows for a more complete submission of materials, enabling the selection committees to better judge the quality of the research. The result will be a better educational experience for all at the 2012 Annual Meeting.

The new application and abstract submission system—a partnership between the AAOS and Coe-Truman Technologies Inc., a leading content-management and software development firm—is both user-friendly and flexible enough to incorporate a variety of submissions, from courses and symposia to papers, posters, scientific exhibits, and multimedia education offerings.

New Instructional Course format
With the new application system, proposals for Instructional Courses and Symposia could be enhanced with additional information and required session objectives and outlines. The Instructional Course Committee has also ventured into innovative educational format courses. These courses will incorporate innovative technologies and techniques, such as enhanced audiovisual, new technology, or teaching formats other than didactic.

“We received several applications that use innovative educational formats, and some of these courses will debut at the 2012 Annual Meeting,” said Paul Tornetta III, MD, a member of the Instructional Course Committee and the leading proponent for the new course format. “We will continue to refine the instructions and further develop these courses, so that many more can be presented in the future.”

According to Mark W. Pagnano, MD, who chairs the Instructional Course Committee, other new offerings at the 2012 Annual Meeting include several review courses designed for those preparing for the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons Maintenance of Certification™ examinations, new and improved skills courses, and all-day programming on Tuesday.

Paper and poster presentations
The new abstract system will also result in better paper and poster presentations, according to Michael J. Stuart, MD, chair of the 2012 Annual Meeting Program Committee. Because authors can now submit longer abstracts and attach images such as radiographs, photos, and graphs, evaluators will be better able to judge the value of a study or research project.

“This new system should give committee and subcommittee members more flexibility in grading,” said Dr. Stuart. “It also encourages better submissions and should result in higher quality paper and poster presentations.”

Disclosure requirements
Although presenters have been required to disclose all relevant conflicts of interest for several years, the AAOS has been expanding and strengthening its disclosure requirements. For the 2012 Annual Meeting, all authors must enter their disclosures in the AAOS Disclosure Database before the abstract will be considered and graded.

The Program Committee is adamant that the authors’ disclosure must be available for review by those who grade the abstracts. The committee also requires that the disclosure be current (within a year of the presentation). These requirements will not only lead to improved transparency, they will also help ensure unbiased presentations.

More than 5,300 abstracts have been successfully submitted for the 2012 Annual Meeting using the new system. In addition, the number of applications for instructional courses, symposia, and scientific exhibits continues to increase, indicating the high level of interest by orthopaedic surgeons who want to be part of the education experience at the AAOS Annual Meeting.

Dates to remember
Member housing registration for the 2012 AAOS Annual Meeting opens on Aug. 11, 2011. The preliminary program book will be mailed in October, with member registration beginning on Oct. 5, 2011.

If you haven’t attended the Annual Meeting recently, Local Chairs William J. Maloney, MD, and Thomas P. Vail, MD, encourage you to join your colleagues in San Francisco, Feb. 7–11, 2012. Take advantage of the exciting education, new research, and networking opportunities at the 2012 AAOS Annual Meeting.

Kathie Niesen, CMP, is the education manager in the AAOS convention & meeting services department. More information on the 2012 AAOS Annual Meeting is available at www.aaos.org/am2012