“Together We” – Excitement Builds in San Francisco for HRS 2016

This year’s Heart Rhythm Society’s (HRS) Annual Scientific Sessions in San Francisco promise to provide attendees with lots of variety and opportunities for engagement — both in person as well as in the digital sphere.

The theme of HRS 2016 is “Together We,” which reflects the society’s focus on the power of collaboration and how our collective work as healthcare professionals can impact patients and improve outcomes.

The “Together We” theme was developed as a way to emphasize the importance of member involvement in the activities of the Heart Rhythm Society, and to promote the collective mission of all healthcare providers — to conduct cutting edge research, to teach others, and to provide exceptional, state of the art patient care.

What To Expect at HRS 2016 in the “City By the Bay”

The meeting will begin on Wednesday morning with both the Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and Ventricular Tachycardia (VT/VF) Summits. During these sessions, heart rhythm professionals would be able to focus on the “state of the art” advanced therapies for these particular hearth rhythm disorders.

Experts will present their experiences with a variety of techniques and the latest data will be reviewed and discussed. Cases will be presented and lively discussions and spirited interaction with faculty are expected.

The Opening Plenary Session on Wednesday afternoon will feature a discussion by Sal Khan, founder of the Khan academy. A former hedge fund manager, Khan is passionate about transforming education throughout the world, proving an inspiration for all attendees.

As the meeting moves into full swing on Thursday, excitement will certainly mount for the presentations of late breaking clinical trials (LBCT) through Friday.

This year we expect to hear results from several major trials that will likely impact the way we deliver care to our patients with heart rhythm disorders.

New at HRS this year: Focus on Communication Training and Digital Involvement

One unique feature of HRS 2016 will be the emphasis on digital networking.

The HRS Communications committee will sponsor a presentation by Nate Gross, Founder of Doximity on Thursday at 12:15pm.

Gross, an expert in the use of social media and digital networking, will share the story of Doximity and how digital platforms and social media outlets can connect colleagues and improve care.

In addition, HRS will have its own #HRS2016 hashtag, allowing Twitter users to quickly locate discussions centered on the daily happenings at the meetings.

Live tweeting from the scientific sessions is encouraged and will allow those unable to attend the meeting in person to participate and learn in real time.

Also, for the first time at HRS, Biotronik will sponsor Twitter social media walls, where live tweets will be displayed, allowing attendees to follow feeds on video screens throughout the convention center as well as on the HRS 2016 mobile application for smartphones and tablets.

These twitter feeds will be identified by another hashtag #CareBeyond as well as the #HRS2016.

It is my hope that this will inspire and encourage members to “wade into” the waters of social media and begin to engage online and participate fully in online communities when they return home from the annual meeting.

Now more than ever, we rely on media to communicate healthcare messages.

According to Neilson, health related topics are the fifth most common stories reported on the evening news.

Nearly every American owns a television and most healthcare consumers watch the news on a daily basis, thus providing a large platform for patient education and a potential impact on public health.

In fact, one study found that nearly two-thirds of viewers who watch a healthcare related story are likely to either make a behavioral or lifestyle change or even inquire about a health topic with providers during their next office visit.

It is essential that doctors and other healthcare providers effectively interact with patients and the media to better communicate important health related messages.

Unfortunately, few, if any medical schools or residency programs offer ANY instruction on media training. On Friday at 12:15pm, the Heart Rhythm Society will feature a new educational session on “Effective Communication”.

The session will include a real television “studio set “with mock interviews — demonstrating the dos and don’ts of on camera appearances. Furthermore, lectures on media training and the effective use of social media and other digital platforms in medicine will also be included.

The goals of the session are to prepare members for media interaction and inspire attendees to reach out to local media outlets in order to provide timely, relevant commentary on a broad range of healthcare topics.

The Best Part of HRS 2016: Reconnecting and Re-Energizing to Care for Patients

Ultimately, the Heart Rhythm Society annual meetings are all about the patient. As a member of the society, I am looking forward to a week of learning, collaborating, and reconnecting with mentors, colleagues, and old friends.

Ultimately HRS serves to inspire us all to provide better care for our patients and allows us to return home reenergized and focused on the exciting future of patient care, research, and teaching.

More to follow this week as HRS rolls along in the city by the bay!