Can you imagine a paperless AAOS Annual Meeting? It’s coming: Paper is gradually being replaced by electronic and web-based materials. The 2014 Annual Meeting in New Orleans will be the last AAOS Annual Meeting with paper handouts for Instructional Course Lectures (ICL).

The phase-out began 3 years ago, when advance registrants for ICLs received a link to electronic handouts. Since then, electronic handouts have become increasing popular.

Eliminating the paper handouts completely is environmentally and economically the right thing to do, according to Craig Della Valle, MD, 2014 chair of the Central Instructional Course Committee. “The increase in smart phones, tablets, and laptops at the meeting has made it the right time to eliminate paper handouts,” he said.

Those who register for ICLs will receive a link to a website featuring the appropriate handouts. But because members often want handouts for courses they did not attend, “we will continue to make them available in various formats,” said Thomas “Quin” Throckmorton, MD, chair of the 2015 Central Instructional Course Committee.

For 2014, paper handouts will be available for all ICLs, as will electronic access. In addition, handouts will be available for sale individually as PDFs and as a package on flash drives.