Plans Progress for the State of the Science in Hospice and Palliative Care Research Symposium

AAHPM has been collaborating with the hospice and palliative care research community to create a new meeting to support and advance the science in our field. This new meeting is the State of the Science in Hospice and Palliative Care research symposium, taking place March 20-22 in San Diego, CA, co-located with the AAHPM Annual Assembly.

An Evolution of the State of the Science Annual Assembly Plenary

For years, the Annual Assembly has featured a State of the Science plenary session on Saturday. It has been a favorite for some because it featured the latest science applied to clinical cases. The science and the field of hospice and palliative care has advanced and grown, so the 1-hour plenary session is now blossoming into a full meeting. The State of the Science meeting begins by bringing the State of the Science plenary in a new format for both audiences. It will feature three scientific abstracts presented by the authors themselves that represent the diversity and quality of research in the field. Check out the State of the Science schedule for details.

Attend State of the Science AND the Annual Assembly for the Most Research

The new meeting, however, will not mean a decrease in the research presented at the Annual Assembly. The number of oral paper sessions remains at 64 and the number of posters is higher than it has ever been at 142 (up from 120 in 2019).

The committees and staff planning both the Assembly and State of the Science are committed to retaining the quality of research at Assembly. The Annual Assembly is where the research can inform practice with both researchers and clinicians in attendance, and keeping the quality of research high at Assembly will remain a priority in future planning

Additionally, we have rearranged the positioning of all the research at Assembly to take place on Thursday and Friday so that researchers are not torn between where to present and what to attend. Anyone interested in research is encouraged to attend both meetings.

A Member-Driven Decision

The decision to host the meeting in conjunction with the Annual Assembly was based on the market research AAHPM did with likely attendees in 2018. We had three focus groups who all wanted the meeting linked to Assembly, despite that not being one of the options presented. Holding the meetings together saves on the time and expense of a separate trip. The cost of registration and one additional hotel night is what is needed to attend both.

AAHPM and the Committees planning the State of the Science will be assessing this inaugural symposium to discuss what worked, what didn’t, and to consider next steps including timing, location, and link to Assembly.

Educational Value Rather than Profit

There have been concerns about the cost of the meeting. The price was set based on a budget of anticipated expenses with a goal to break even only. San Diego is an expensive city and the costs are high. In addition, AAHPM has not been able to secure grants or commercial support for this new meeting. These funds help to offset the costs of registrations.

Additional Questions?

If you have more questions, please refer to the State of the Science website or check the FAQs. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, please email info@aahpm.org.

Don’t be shy–we’d like to hear from you! Your questions and feedback are very helpful as we assess the success of this inaugural meeting.

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