How to Write an Abstract and Create a Poster for Presentation Andrea Robinson, MSN Amy Morris, BSN Kelly Bartsch, PharmD Lindsey Bronstein, MSN
Objectives • What is an abstract? ➢Nuts & Bolts of a Research abstract ➢Nuts & Bolts of a QI abstract
• Nuts & Bolts of a Clinical Case Report
• Key Conferences and dates for submission
What is an abstract? Adj: considered apart from concrete existence, not applied or practical: theoretical, difficult to understand: abstruse1 Noun: a statement summarizing the important points of a text, something abstract1
• Article abstracts ➢Prepared once the study or project is completed ➢First look at your work by editors, reviewers, and readers on PubMed
• Conference abstracts ➢Often written to give a preview of work-in-progress with preliminary generalized findings and provides foundation to turn a research study into a published manuscript ➢Conference organizers will preview submitted abstracts and choose which to highlight for poster presentation, brief talks, travel awards, or journal submission 1. American heritage dictionary of the English language, 5th edition, 2016
Abstract Categories • Allied Health or General submission • Basic/Translational Science • Research ➢Disease state specific ➢Device or procedural specific ➢Genetics ➢Pharmacologic
• Quality Improvement ➢Clinical quality outcomes ➢Health economics
Nuts & Bolts of a Research Abstract Human Subject Research
Quality Improvement
Purpose
Designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge
Designed to implement knowledge, assess a process or program as judged by established/accepted standards
Starting Point
Knowledge-seeking is independent of routine care and intended to answer a question or test a hypothesis
Knowledge-seeking is integral to ongoing management system for delivering health care
Design
Follows a rigid protocol that remains unchanged throughout the research
Adaptive, iterative design
Benefits
Might or might not benefit current subjects; intended to benefit future patients
Directly benefits a process, system, or program; might or might not benefit patients
Risks
May put subjects at risk
Does not increase risk to patients, with exception of possible patients’ privacy or confidentiality of data
Participant Obligation
No obligation of individuals to participate
Responsibility to participate as component of care
Endpoint
Answer a research question
Improve a program, process or system
Analysis
Statistically prove or disprove hypothesis
Compare program, process or system to establish standards
Adoption of Results
Little urgency to disseminate results quickly
Results rapidly adopted into local care delivery
Publication/Presentation
Investigator obliged to share results
QI practitioners encouraged to share systematic reporting of insights
Adapted from The Ethics of Using QI Methods to Improve Health Care Quality and Safety, The Hastings Center. 2006
Usual Research Project Process Identify Research Topic
Preliminary Literature Search
Full Literature Search
Identify the Specific Aims of the study
Define the Population/Sample size (calculations as needed)
Study is initiated, proceed with prospective or retrospective data collection
?unique/novel/valuable?
Full Protocol Development
Budget determination
IRB submission
Address/Respond to IRB recommendations and/or stipulations
Data Entry/Quality control
Statistical Analysis & Results Review
Abstract Completion
Manuscript Development
Presentation/
Publication
Nuts & Bolts of a Research Abstract • Choose a good title ➢This may report the main finding of your work but if it is still preliminary, consider stating your main goal. ➢Should be short and concise
• Include a brief background/objective ➢Provide the reader what is essential to understand about your topic and an overview of what is already known. Explain the main reasoning or rationale for your project and why it is important to your field. Is there a gap in knowledge, are you examining a new topic, or applying a new method to existing data?
Nuts & Bolts of a Research Abstract • Research/Methods ➢Describe the design of the study, population, and methods for applying intervention or data analysis
• Findings/Results ➢Clearly state your results and make sure there is a distinction between what was previously known and what is new information or findings from your work ➢If the results are preliminary, make sure to state the continued plan for assessment or the approach you plan to use to to address the outstanding questions
• Conclusions ➢Include the significance or implications from your findings
Tips for a good research abstract • Read and re-read the submission guidelines ➢Word or characters count, format will be different ➢Recommendations regarding abbreviations, text format
• Ask someone else to read and review for accuracy • Decide on authorship requirements prior to completion/submission
Research abstract → Poster • Illustrates the abstracts main points visually • Use same or similar headings as abstract • Can expound on work without strict word/character counts • Exercise creativity with graphs, tables, illustrations
• QR codes to link to other related work/publications
Quality Improvement Abstract / Poster
Amy Morris MBA, BSN, RN, CCRN-K
What is a Quality Improvement (QI) Abstract?
A clear, brief written summary of a Quality Improvement project • Focus: improving patient safety, quality and evaluating patient satisfaction
Provides an overview of the process and highlights the important points of the results • Outlines key information in a structured format • Describes the essence of your QI work
Conferences typically call for abstracts to be: • Given in an oral presentation • Included in conference proceedings • Turned into a poster
Why should you submit a QI Abstract? • Shed light on solutions to problems others may be having
• Share your knowledge and experience so others may benefit • Improve patient care • Get credit for your work
• Connect with others on the same journey • Create a ripple effect • Inspire others to make positive changes for patients & families
The Nuts and Bolts of a QI Abstract • Title • Problem Statement or Scientific Question • Background / Project Intent
• Methodology • Results • Conclusion
Nuts & Bolts of an Abstract Title • Describes the focus of your story • Should clearly and succinctly identify the contents of your project and/or your conclusion statement
Background: describe the background and purpose of the project • What is the goal/aim – the problem you were trying to address, the expected change and the time to expected change? • What is the significance of your project and why would it be of interest to others? • 2-3 sentences
Methods: overview of your project’s strategy and design, explaining how your goal/aim was achieved • Interventions you performed and changes you made to achieve improvement • How did you measure whether you were successful? • What was done and how it was done
Nuts & Bolts of an Abstract Results: The results that you obtained before and after your initiative (your measurements). • 1-2 clear paragraphs • Most important part of the abstract
Conclusions: Short summary of what was learned from the work, any lessons learned for those who want to replicate the project, and any next steps planned. • 2-3 sentences • “Take-home” message
Examples
What to Avoid • • • • • • • • • • •
Being too vague Being organization specific Forgetting to do a spell/grammar check Ignoring deadlines Including too much information Adapting an old abstract Going on a solo journey Weak discussion Lack of originality Poor methods Inadequate results
Tips & Tricks • Research other abstracts • Ask others to review • Check for errors • Make revisions • Use writing resources
• Ask for help • Active voice is preferable to passive voice • “We analyzed the results” sounds better than “The results were analyzed” • Abbreviations • Use the complete term/phrase before including the acronym or abbreviation in parentheses • Write only one thought per sentence • Eliminate unnecessary words • Use consistent tense
• Review abstract guidelines and deadlines
Additional Thoughts
Abstract
Poster
• Poster is a visual presentation of your QI project • Provides all the same benefits as an abstract, with the added advantages of: • Visually displaying your information for greater clarity • Networking and discussing your project with other attendees
Nuts & Bolts of a Poster Title
Authors
Affiliations
Text
• Capitalize the first letter of each word in the title, apart from prepositions and articles • Should be readable from 10 feet away
• List the lead author first, followed by supporting authors listed alphabetically • Include titles of each author • List each author and his/her institution on a separate line
• List the organization for each author, with its city and state. • Also identify any affiliation for which there is a conflict of interest
• Use bulleted lists instead of paragraphs where possible • Concise enough to be read in less than 10 mins • Font size should be readable from several feet away
Nuts & Bolts of a Poster Numbers • Spell out numbers only at the beginning of a sentence. • Use zeros before decimal points
Tables and Graphs • Must include the source of the data being presented • Titles of tables and graphs must include the measure being analyzed • Label all axes
Lab Values • Include units and range for normal.
General Tips • Avoid slang • Proofread your poster abstract/idea to look for any errors, typographical errors, misspellings, etc.
References • Include any journals, literature, or other documents used to develop your project.
Case Reports Kelly Bartsch, PharmD, BCPS, CLS
What Makes a Good Case? • Two subsets – case report (1 patient) and a case series (2+ patients) • Describe one of the following: • • • • •
Unusual side effects or interactions Unusual disease presentation Variations in ‘typical’ disease processes New and/or emerging diseases Unexpected event in the diagnosis or treatment
Key Components • Introduction • Goal: concise but engages attention and interest • Summarize past literature
• Case Description/Presentation • Figures, if they add value • Discussion • Compare the new case to the previous known literature • Review applicability to practice • Draw clinical conclusions from the presented data
• Conclusion
Case Reports Abstracts • Include text to indicate case report in the title • Main components: • Introduction – brief review of where this case report fits in the literature • Case Presentation – the key facts of the case • Discussion/Conclusion – what does this add to the literature
• Goal is to be as concise and as complete as possible!
Case Presentation • Describe in chronological order • Factors to include (if relevant): • • • • •
Clinical history Physical exam findings Imaging and/or laboratory results Management Follow up
• Keep this suggestion as objective as possible
Case Report - Poster • Goal: expand on the abstract • General tips: • • • •
Use color … but not too much color Limit yourself to a max of ~3 text sizes Use figures and smart art to highlight important parts of your case Ensure consistency!
• References should be added here
• Make sure you understand the poster format!
Case Report - Manuscript • Be sure to check the Author Instructions before you start to compile a submission • Find details on structural requirements – are certain components expected? Are figures allowed? • Check the quantity limits – is there a word limit? Are you limited on the number of authors or references?
• Remember: this Isn't an RCT! When you draw conclusions, you can explore and infer, but typically cannot prove or confirm • Consider the case report or case series to be hypothesis generating
JACC Case Reports Specific Recommendations • Excerpted from Author Instructions • Title: max of 15 words • Abstract: max of 50 words • Article layout: • • • • • • • •
History of presentation PMH Differential diagnosis Investigations Management (medical/interventions) Discussion – association with current guidelines / practice Follow up and conclusions Learning objectives
Accessed from: www.jacc.org/pb-assets/documents/author-instructions-jacc-case-reports-1613751500083.pdf
Professional Organizations Submission Deadlines and Links Lindsey Bronstein, MSN
Conferences/Organizations Ohio Chapter ACC
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American College of Cardiology
American Association of Nurses
The Heart Rhythm Society
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
American Heart Association
American Nurses Credentialing Center
Heart Failure Society of America
National Lipid Association
European Society of Cardiology
The 12th Annual Ohio State Advanced Practice Provider Virtual Conference
Questions?
Ideas for future meeting topics? • Best practices for operationalizing APP and Pharmacist led-clinics • What does “Advocacy” mean to ACC and why should I get involved? • Clinical/Disease based topics • Quality Improvement • Intro to Cardiovascular Genetics • Write-in suggestions and self nominations for talks • Best Practices in Cardiac Pharmacy • Opportunities for creating novel pharmacy and APP services
Thank you!
Ohio Chapter ACC • Ohio ACC Annual Meeting October 2021 • September 8, 2021 before midnight • https://www.ohioacc.org/virtual-poster-competition/
American College of Cardiology • ACC.21, May 15 – 17, 2021 • ACC.22 is slated for Washington, DC, April 2 – 4, 2022. • Monday, Dec. 7 2020 at Noon ET (likely submissions will be due before this date as it is a month earlier) • https://accscientificsession.acc.org/en/Submit-Your-Science/Abstracts • https://accscientificsession.acc.org/Submit-Your-Science/Complex-ClinicalCases
The Heart Rhythm Society • Heart Rhythm 2021 will kick off virtually for all attendees on June 30, 2021, followed by the in-person activities in Boston, MA from July 28-31, 2021.
• ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday, February 12, 2021, 11:59 p.m. ET (expect to submit next year at this time) • https://heartrhythm.com/sites/default/files/202012/Abstract%20Submission%20Guidelines%20_for%20Web%2012.9.20_v2. pdf
American Heart Association • November 13–15, 2021 | Boston, MA + Virtual • AHA meeting slated for November 5-7, 2022, Chicago, IL • General abstract submission dates: April 14–June 10, 2021 (expect to submit next year at this time) • https://professional.heart.org/en/meetings/scientificsessions?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1PSDBhDbARIsAPeTqrdiRJebMHdwFicPKmeJ_mUeD2MDO jVOE69S-QElPsfTnxKZKVtAVgIaAj8qEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds • https://www.heart.org/en/about-us/statements-and-policies/copyrightpermission-guidelines
Heart Failure Society of America • SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 - SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 | GAYLORD ROCKIES, DENVER, CO + VIRTUAL • Slated for September 30 – October 3, 2022 Gaylord National National Harbor, MD • Submission dates Friday, March 26, 2021- Monday, May 3, 2021 • https://hfsa.org/annualscientificmeeting/abstracts-and-posters-0
European Society of Cardiology • August 27-30 2021 • 1 April 2021: 12:00 noon CEST, the Call for Abstracts is closed. • The 43rd European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress will take place in Barcelona at the end of August 2022
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy • Annual Meeting July 19, 2021 to July 22, 2021 Virtual • Monday, March 15, 2021 at 11:59 P.M. (PST) • https://www.aacp.org/article/pharmacy-education-2021-submissioninformation
American Association of Nurses • The ANA Policy, Innovation and Advocacy virtual forum is taking place September 14, 2021 • The abstract call is closed.
American Association of Nurse Practitioners • • • • • •
2021 AANP National Conference June 15, 2021 – August 31, 2021 Online 2022 AANP National Conference June 21, 2022 – June 26, 2022 Orlando, Florida Posters can be submitted starting July 1, 2021 https://www.aanp.org/call-for-presentations-2022-aanp-nationalconference
American Nurses Credentialing Center • 2021 ANCC Pathway to Excellence • November 11-13, 2021 Atlanta, Georgia • https://www.pathwaycon.org/
National Lipid Association • 2021 NLA • September 24-26 Orlando, Florida • Abstract Submission Open Monday, February 8, 2021 • Final Abstract Submission Deadline June 15, 2021 11:59:59 p.m Eastern Time • https://www.lipid.org/education/abstracts#:~:text=The%202021%20NLA%2 0Abstract%20Committee,among%20experts%20in%20clinical%20lipidology
th 12
The Annual Ohio State Advanced Practice Provider Virtual Conference • September 23-24, 2021, Virtual • Abstract Submission Open May 7th, 2021 Final Abstract Submission Deadline June 4th, 2021 • Submission requirements were sent via email as a document. Unfortunately, there was not a link to provide for this presentation. You can reach out to kim.knight@osumc.edu for the information.