Call for Submissions

Abstract submissions for the ASOA Program must take place through this online submission portal.

ACCREDITATION STATEMENT

The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. ASCRS takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of the CME activity. As the ASOA Program is provided in conjunction with the ASCRS program the same applies to the ASOA program.

All submissions are subject to the ACCME guidelines regarding independence and validation of content. Instructors/authors/producers are responsible for ensuring that (1) all recommendations involving clinical medicine presented are based on evidence that is accepted within the profession and (2) all scientific research referred to, reported, or used conforms to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis. Recommendations, treatments, or manners of practicing medicine that do not comply with the above, are known to have risks or dangers that outweigh the benefits or are known to be ineffective in the treatment of patients will not be accepted.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of the program, ASOA Annual Meeting attendees will be able to:

• Discuss various aspects of business management and integrate adjustments to practices as necessary.
• Describe and implement adjustments to policies and procedures related to human resource management.
• Assess leadership qualities and practices and apply concepts.
• Evaluate current practice marketing campaigns and efforts and recommend improvements where possible.
• Describe advancements in electronic health records and health information technologies.
• Summarize the latest compliance and coding updates.

KNOWLEDGE PATHWAYS

The Annual Meeting is organized by functional pathways. Each pathway corresponds to a position or common division of responsibilities within an ophthalmic practice. When completing the course submission, please identify the appropriate pathway.

• Advanced Administrator
• Business Management
• Coding & Billing
• EHR & Health Information Technology
• Human Resources
• Leadership & Strategic Management
• Marketing & Business Development
• Risk Management and Compliance
• Sub-Specialties (Ambulatory Surgery Center, Optical, Retina, Cosmetics, Hearing, etc.)

COURSE LEVEL

Indicate if the course material is introductory or experienced.

COURSE TITLE (limited to 10 words)

The title should concisely reflect the content of the course. For CME purposes, product/trade names cannot be used in the title. Generic descriptors are required. Titles with product/trade names may be rejected. Titles should follow title case rules and may be edited by ASOA staff.

COURSE DESCRIPTION (limited to 50 words)

The course description will be used in the final program (subject to editing) and will be the basis on which attendees select their sessions. Keep the reader in mind and explain the content of the course and what the audience will learn. Begin your course description with the words “This course will. . .”

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Together with the description, the learning objectives will be used by the Program Committee to review and rate the submission. Please provide two to three specific objectives that define what the attendee can expect to learn from the course. Well-written objectives are action-oriented and can be observed and measured. Learning objectives should NOT be a re-statement of your course description but should add new information to enhance the Program Committee’s understanding of your planned presentation.

Learning objectives should serve as a completion to the sentence “At the end of this course, attendees will be able to…”

Example of poorly worded objectives:

• Teach a course about practice marketing and competition
• Understand managed competition

Example of appropriately worded objectives:

• Design a basic practice marketing plan
• Define managed competition

SAMPLE COURSE DESCRIPTION AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Title: Compliance Dilemmas

Instructors: Alan E. Reider, MPH, JD; Donna M. McCune, CCS-P, COE, CPMA, FASOA

Course Description: This course will present a series of case studies examining compliance issues and the potential attention paid to them. Instructors will present an interactive session designed to assist administrators with the challenge of staying current with changing regulations.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this course, attendees will be able to:

• Identify possible reimbursement issues under scrutiny
• Develop a plan to evaluate and correct problems
• Discuss the legal approach to cope with compliance issues

PEER REVIEW PROCESS

All submissions will be peer-reviewed by the ASOA Program Committee and should align with ASOA educational objectives. As a result of attendee feedback, the 2020 Program Committee will be actively seeking submissions from administrators presenting alone, as part of a panel, or in conjunction with a consultant. The 2020 Program Committee will also take into account prior year course evaluations completed by attendees and reviewed by the ASOA Board of Directors, Program Committee, and ASOA staff.  Submissions will be graded on content and quality and will be accepted based on ASOA creating an overall balanced program.

NON-ACCEPTANCE

• Abstract submissions that are commercially biased will not be accepted.
• If the instructor/faculty did not present his/her scheduled presentation the previous year and did not follow the withdrawal guidelines, the submission will not be accepted.
• If the submission information has been published or presented elsewhere, the submission may not be accepted.
• If the lead instructor/faculty have not completed their individual Financial Interest Disclosure by Sunday, October 20 the submission will not be accepted.
• Abstract submissions that exceed the limit of submissions per consulting group (eight as lead instructor) will not be accepted.

DISCLOSURE OF UNAPPROVED/OFF-LABEL USE

If a presentation concerns the use of a drug or device that has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or concerns off-label use of a drug or device approved by the FDA for other use, this must be disclosed during the presentation.

COPYRIGHT ASSIGNMENT STATEMENT

By my signed acceptance of the terms and conditions of this agreement, and in consideration of the opportunity to speak and present my work at the ASOA Annual Meeting, I hereby grant the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators, a division of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (the “Societies”), a royalty-free, perpetual worldwide license to copy, reproduce, film, distribute and/or sell the work in any media or format in connection with the Annual Meeting or sale or other distribution of materials, as well as authority to use my name, likeness, photograph, and biographical data in connection with its use and promotion of the works. I understand that I will receive no royalty or other monetary compensation from the Societies for this license of rights and the use of my works by the Societies in connection with the Annual Meeting.  ASCRS and ASOA will not use the works for any purposes unrelated to the Annual Meeting or sale/distribution of Annual Meeting materials without my written permission prior to use.

The Societies understand and agree that the above grant of rights does not constitute a transfer of copyright and that I remain free to present the materials or revised versions thereof elsewhere for any purposes. I represent and warrant that the works are my own original work or that I have obtained all necessary permissions and authorizations from all individuals or entities that may otherwise have a right, title, or interest in the works; that I have full right and power to make this license; that the works do not violate any copyright, proprietary or personal rights of others; and that the works are factually accurate and contain no matter libelous or otherwise unlawful. I further agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Societies and their respective officers, directors, employees, and volunteers from any and all claims of copyright infringement made against the Societies and arising out of the work and my presentation of the work at the Annual Meeting. 

SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

• Notify all faculty members that they must complete the Financial Interest Disclosure and Faculty CME Review by October 20, 2019. Faculty cannot be added to the course submission until the disclosures are completed.
• Confirm the valid e-mail address of each faculty member before starting the online submission process.
• Confirm that the title is entered in title case, is 10 words or less, and does not include product/trade names.
• Confirm that the learning objectives are formatted correctly.
• Contact ASOA to request any changes to the stated room and AV setup by the deadline noted in the presentation acceptance letter.