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1998 ACRM Annual Meeting Emphasized Research The 75th Annual Meeting of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, held November S-10, 1998, at The Madison Hotel in Seattle, WA, lived up to the ACRM Board of Governors’ 1997 promise for an event that would emphasize evidence-based rehabilitation and important ongoing developments in rehabilitation research. The event, titled “Evidence-Based Rehabilitation: Building Bridges Between Payers, Providers, and Consumers,” was jointly sponsored by ACRM and the University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Continuing Medical Education. The keynote address, “Science Informing Program and Policy in Rehabilitation: The IOM Blueprint,” was given by Ellen J. MacKenzie, PhD, professor of health policy and management and senior associate dean for academic affairs at Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, MD. The presentation discussedthe general findings and research priorities contained in the report of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to the US Congress, Enabling America, as well as the report’s potential impact on the field of rehabilitation. Plenary sessionsall focused on the topic of “Building Trustworthy Bridges with Evidence-Based Rehabilitation.” The first plenary, presented by Theodore M. Cole, MD, ACRM president and professor emeritus of physical medicine and rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, Gerben DeJong, PhD, director of the National Rehabilitation Hospital Research Center, Washington, DC, and John Banja, PhD, associate professor of rehabilitation medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, explored the question, “Is the Nature of the Evidence for Evidence-Based Rehabilitation Really SelfEvident?” The initial plenary session objectives included identifying the issues in and describing the importance of the clinical practice of an evidence-based rehabilitation approach. Presenters expanded the discussion to include three varying evidence-based perspectives-rehabilitation science, marketplace, and mom-as they relate to rehabilitation, then offered cases to compare the usefulness of these approaches in building bridges between payers, providers, and consumers of rehabilitation services. Arch
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The second plenary subtopic, “Strategies for Managing Our Future as Rehabilitationists,” was given by Jean Welsh, EdD, an independent consultant with Insight Partners, Boston, MA. The session addressed expansive objectives, including defining the principal drivers of rehabilitation change, meeting and overcoming the challenges of cost compression and treatment redesign, and identifying ways to use information technology to add value to rehabilitation care quality and cost. Dr. Welsh discussedimportant pending changes in the economic demands and regulatory environment of postacute care and offered practical suggestions on successful and cost-effective rehabilitation service delivery in a hypercompetitive market. The final plenary subtopic, “The Role of Stakeholder Groups in Creating an Evidence-Based Culture,” was presented by Gerben DeJong and moderated by Randall Evans, PhD ABPP, president and CEO of Learning Services Corporation, Durham, NC. The presentation pointed out the roles of various stakeholder groups (eg, clinicians, administrators, consumers, payers, researchers, and policymakers) in creating an evidence-based culture, the rules that might govern it, and the potential for such a culture to restore professional value to today’s marketplace. Participants identified ways for ACRM to work with other stakeholders and provide leadership in creating such a culture. The combination opening reception/ exhibits/first poster session was complemented with beverages and hors d’oeuvres, and this sessionoffered attendees an opportunity to network with representatives from rehabilitation-related facilities and companies to learn about innovative and nontraditional clinical practice or programming. Of the approximately 150 abstracts received For this year’s conference, 27 were aczepted as paper presentations and approximately 105 as poster presentations. One of the most exciting elements of the meeting was a dinner/dance to celebrate ACRM’s 75th anniversary, held in the hotel’s splendid Courtyard Ballroom. A grand celebration of ACRM’s long and distinguished history was presented, highlighting the organization’s leaders, contrioutions, and achievements-as well as a iook forward to ACRM’s plans for the new millennium. A special historical 75th anniversary poster was unveiled; the poster is available for viewing on the ACRM Web site, which is www.acrm.org. ACRM President Theodore M. Cole
told attendees, “I hope you agree that the content of the meeting creatively and expeditiously advanced evidence-basedrehabilitation and highlighted the bridges we have built for rehabilitation research payers, providers, and consumers. We fulfilled our promise to put research up front at the convention during this, our 75th anniversary year.”
ACRM Call for Abstracts1999 76th Annual Meeting The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine invites abstract submissions for its 1999 annual conference, “Rehabilitation: Creating the State of the Art,” to be held October 14-17, 1999, at the Radisson Twin Towers, Orlando, FL. ACRM’s focus for the meeting is to create a dynamic, innovative, evidence-based educational conference for generators, funders, and users of rehabilitation research. Abstracts are requested for Courses, Breakfast Sessions, Scientific Papers, Scientific Posters, and, new for 1999, Research Work Sessions. ACRM is particularly interested in submissions that (1) show how current evidence-based research can effectively guide clinical practice,(2) evaluate the extent to which currently available evidence can guide clinical practice and identify remaining clinical questions where additional research data are needed, and (3) discuss a research agenda needed to guide clinical practice where little definitive research exists. Abstracts are invited in the following categories: Courses: Courses are 1.5 or 3 hours in length and are presented by people with expertise in the topic area. There is a mandatory time of 20 minutes or more for questions and discussion, although more time can be allotted if desired. Desired course submissions are those that (1) show how current evidence-based research can effectively guide clinical practice, (2) evaluate the extent to which currently available evidence can guide clinical practice and identify remaining clinical questions where additional research data are needed, and (3) discuss a research agenda needed to guide clinical practice where little definitive research exists. Each course submission must describe the instructional method to be used, the content and format of the course and the rationale why such a method is the best way to present the material. The number of course presenters can vary from
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one to several, but multidisciplinary submissions are encouraged. Breakfast Sessions: These are early morning sessions of 1 hour in length and can present any topic that relates to the focus of rehabilitation research and the users of this information (eg, researchers, clinicians, administrators, payers, funding agencies, etc). Topics could include “how to” presentations such as publishing in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the use of specific statistical methods, and scientific writing. ScientiJic Papers: A scientific paper is an oral platform presentation of a paper for 15 minutes followed by 5 minutes of discussion with a moderator. Outstanding submissions may be selected for a longer presentation. Presenters can use audiovisual equipment to supplement the presentation. Submissions must include objectives, hypothesis, methodology, and results in the abstract. (In addition, indicate whether you wish to have your paper presentation considered for a longer presentation.) Submissions with pending results will be deferred for acceptance until the results are submitted. Scientific Posters: Posters are a graphic presentation of a scientific paper. The criteria are the same as for scientific papers. Research Work Sessions: These sessions, new to ACRM in 1999, will provide opportunities for groups of people to join together in achieving a common goal that would advance or promote rehabilitation research. Research Work Sessions might bring together colleagues interested in developing a new instrument or treatment protocol, collaborating on a clinical trial,
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or generating a collaborative researchtraining program, to name several possibilities. Depending on the outcome of the Work Session, limited ACRM staff support may be available during the year to assist in project follow-through. Each session must have a Work SessionDirector who ensures that sufficient background information is provided and clearly articulates the operational objectives to be accomplished. Research Work Session submissions must describe the importance of the problem being pursued, the specific objectives of the Work Session with respect to solving the problem, the organizational structure and process to be used in achieving those goals, and the rationale why such methods are the best way to achieve the stated goals. In addition, submissions should clearly identify those participants desired to attend the Work Sessionand the purpose for including them (eg, individuals responsible for research training at their institutions, individuals with large subject populations with chronic pain, etc). Research Work Session outcomes may be published in ACRM’s Rehabilitation Outlook or there may be continuing activities by the participants. The types of activities which could occur in a Research Work Session include: collaborating on a research project, recruiting and training for future researchers, planning ways to impact public policy, evaluation of clinical practices, and establishing research priorities. The sessions will be 1.5 or 3 hours in length. The deadline for receipt of abstracts in the ACRM office is January l&1999. Abstract submission forms may be ob-
tained on ACRM’s web page at www. acrmorg. or by contacting: American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine 4700 W. Lake Avenue Glenview, IL, 60025-1485 8471375-4725 E-mail:
[email protected]
Special Edition of the Archives On behalf of the 75th Anniversary Task Force we hope you enjoy perusing the supplement that accompanies this issue of the Archives. This special supplement celebrates the illustrious 75-year history of the ACRM. Steven R. Hinderer, MD: coordinated the activities related to the development of the supplement and he would like to offer his special thanks to Marv Schroder for truly bringing it to life. Included in the supplement are a timeline tracing ACRM’s extraordinary 75year history, excerpts from the 1972 final report of the Professional Development Committee “Development of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine into a Multidisciplinary Professional Society,” biographies of the 1998 recipients of ACRM awards, and additional information highlighting ACRM’s past, present, and future. The 75th Anniversary Task Force was responsible for developing the activities celebrating ACRM’s 75 years, including the gala event held at the conference, the historical poster unveiled at that event, and the special supplement to the Archives. 75th Anniversary Task Force: Robert H. Meier, III, MD, Chair; Karen A. Hart, WD; Steven R. Hinderer, MD; Don A. Olson, PhD; JessicaRobins Miller, ACSW, Martin Grabois, MD, Board Liaison.
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