The unique aspects of interactions and experiences at annual live meetings may be an essential part of lifelong learning, according to a review published Oct. 15 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

While some questions remain as to the longevity and importance of large-scale, live meetings, Andrew M. Kates, MD, FACC, chair of ACC's 68th Annual Scientific Session and Expo (ACC.19), et al., discuss the ways these conferences have contributed to the field of cardiovascular medicine, scientific community and professional societies. They note that live annual meetings offer attendees a variety of integrated experiences such as late-breaking science, focused research presentations, a variety of educational programming, and opportunities to network with colleagues and interact with industry.

The authors note that a key feature of most live meetings is the in-person format for the delivery of novel research findings and the ability to discuss and debate these findings in an open forum with thought leaders in the field. "The live presentation format allows for the confluence of clinicians, scientists, industry, press, and the entire medical community to critique data, which is critical for advancing science and improving patient care," they write.

Furthermore, the authors believe that live meetings offer a wide array of traditional and novel education experiences and are an ideal forum for instructional innovation, as continuing medical education and maintenance of certification credits are now available for most educational activities. They also add that integrating technology has played a crucial role in the evolution of learning at these meetings including smartphone applications to enhance the meeting experience, audience response systems to engage learners in the session dialogues, and social media to expand the reach of science and educational programming.

"To engage and interact with colleagues, discuss late-breaking science in real time, learn in a myriad educational formats from internationally recognized content experts, and inspire cardiovascular specialists throughout the span of their career are just some of the reasons that live scientific meetings will continue to be an important tool in the lifelong learning tool box," the authors conclude.

Registration is now open for ACC's 68th Annual Scientific Session and Expo (ACC.19), taking place March 16–18, 2019 in New Orleans, LA. Learn how to submit your science.

Keywords: Education, Medical, Continuing, Social Media, Specialization, Maintenance, Learning, Certification, Patient Care

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