AAO 2020 broadens opportunities with virtual meeting

Subspecialty Day 2020 and the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) are going virtual this year.

During the webinar November 13-15, registrants can participate in more than 100 hours of interactive broadcast content and learn about developments in research, clinical pearls, and practice management through the American Academy of Ophthalmic Executives (AAOE) program.

There will be interactive opportunities to “meet the experts,” network with colleagues through lounge and happy hour events, and relax with stress-reducing activities at EyePlay Experience.

In addition to the broadcast content, more than 700 hours of on-demand education will be accessible until October 2021. AAO 2020 Virtual will provide more than 3 times as many on-demand hours as the 2019 program.

A Virtual Expo is also part of the 2020 AAO program. Registrants can check out product innovations, learn about new services, and connect with industry representatives. Beyond the November webinar, the Virtual Expo will remain accessible through February 15.

Registrants for AAO 2020 Virtual will receive an All-Access Pass that will enable them to “attend” all sessions, courses, Subspecialty Day programs, and Skills Transfer courses that are partferti of the program. Physicians can earn up to 70 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ through the virtual meeting, which is almost twice the number of CME hours offered during the 2019 program.

Meeting Highlights

The decision to cancel the in-person meeting and hold an entirely virtual conference was made on July 13. Planning is ongoing. Program details will be provided as they become available and will be posted at aao.org/annual-meeting.

Schedule
The live, virtual meeting will begin each day at 7 am PST and end at 4 pm PST. Four, 75-minute live, moderated interactive sessions will be conducted outside of these hours to accommodate the schedules of registrants around the globe.

Hello, Asia! sessions will be held on Friday and Saturday evening (PST).

Hello, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East! sessions are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday morning (PST).

Opening sessions

The regular broadcast content on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will begin with 30-minute opening sessions.

On Friday, the opening session will feature addresses by AAO leaders, including current president Anne L. Coleman, MD, PhD; Maria M. Aaron, MD, secretary of the annual meeting; and David W. Parke II, MD, AAO chief executive officer.

It will include formal recognition of the 2020 Guests of Honor, and it also will honor R. Michael Siatkowski, MD, recipient of the Straatsma Award for Excellence in Resident Education. Siatkowski is the David W. Parke II, MD, Endowed Professor and residency program director at the Dean McGee Eye Institute, The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.

The 77th Edward Jackson Memorial Lecture, considered the most distinguished lecture in ophthalmology, will be delivered by Michael X. Repka, MD, during Saturday’s Opening Session. Repka is the David L. Guyton, MD, and Feduniak Family Professor of Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University’s Wilmer Eye Institute. He also is the AAO medical director for governmental affairs and the ophthalmology advisor for the American Medical Association’s CPT Advisory Committee. Repka’s opening session talk is titled “Amblyopia Outcomes through Clinical Trials and Practice Measurement: Room for Improvement.”

Tamara R. Fountain, MD, the 2021 AAO president, will speak during Sunday’s Opening Session.

Friday, November 13

Friday is Subspecialty Day 2020. There are 9 meetings, each of which will have live broadcast content, as well as additional sessions on-demand.

Morning program 7:40-11:30 am:

> Glaucoma 2020: Winning Bets: Strategies in Glaucoma Care,

> Pediatric Ophthalmology 2020: The Only Game in Town,

> Refractive Surgery 2020: Celebrating 2020,

> Retina 2020: Vision for the Future (continues in the afternoon), and

> Uveitis 2020: Beating the Odds–How to Make Sure You Get a Full House When You’re Dealt Uveitis

Afternoon programming 12:30-4:20 pm:

> Cornea 2020: Seeing Clearly Into the Future,

> Ocular Oncology/Pathology 2020: Collaboration Now More Than Ever,

> Oculofacial Plastic Surgery 2020: Back to the Basics With Tips and Tricks, and

> Retina 2020: Vision for the Future

Saturday, November 14, and Sunday, November 15

The broadcast content on days 2 and 3 of AAO 2020 Virtual includes Skills Transfer courses, Original Paper sessions, Poster Discussion sessions, and other educational content. As in live face-to-face meetings, the Original Paper sessions will include discussions by a panel of experts and their selection of best paper.

Additional content for the Skills Transfer courses and archived Original Paper sessions will be available for viewing on-demand. E-posters and videos will be accessible at any time, and the Poster Discussion sessions also will be archived for on-demand viewing.

Annual Business Meeting

The Annual Business Meeting will take place 9:20-9:40 am on Sunday as a virtual Zoom meeting. Login information for the annual business meeting will be provided in an email invitation that will be sent to voting members and fellows who are registered for AAO 2020 Virtual. After the meeting, voting members and fellows will receive election ballots for open board positions and amendments to the bylaws.

The annual business meeting will include a report from the president of the board and the executive vice president/CEO. It also will feature the election of fellows and members, new business and announcements.

AAOE Practice Management Program

AAOE, the AAO’s practice management affiliate, will offer instruction courses and panel discussions, many focusing on recovery from the financial and operational impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Instruction topics include finance, practice growth and optimization, consolidation, and coding. The interactive program will provide an opportunity to communicate with experts and colleagues.

The Academy Resource Center

Registrants can access the Academy Resource Center and will receive a 10% discount on clinical education, patient education, and practice management materials. In addition, they will get information on the IRIS Registry, coding, and the EyeSmart public information program, plus the opportunity to virtually “tour” the Truhlsen-Marmor Museum of the Eye.

Registration

Registration for AAO 2020 Virtual gives attendees an All-Access Pass with the opportunity to learn from all content. Attendees who purchased their pass before September 23 have been entered into a raffle for prizes including AAO membership in 2021, a free hotel stay during AAO 2021, and paid registration for Subspecialty Day 2021. If someone cannot attend the virtual, they still can register before Friday, January 29, and receive access to virtual meeting content through February 15.

Following is a listing of the registration fees by category:

Academy Member: $425

Academy Member in Training: $150

AAOE Member: $250

Nonmember: $1,100

Any questions?

Contact the Meetings Department staff by email.

General-meeting questions: meetings@aao.org

Registration, proof of attendance, and CME-related questions: registration@aao.org

Virtual expo questions: exhibitions@aao.org