2015 Call For Abstracts

The WOCN® National Conference Planning Committee invites you to submit an abstract describing a research study, case study, or practice innovation in the areas of professional practice, wound, ostomy or continence.

Case Study and Practice Innovation abstracts are eligible only for poster presentations.

Research abstracts are eligible for oral or poster presentation.

Abstract Submission Deadline and Process
Abstract submissions are accepted starting Tuesday, September 16, 2014 through Tuesday, December 30, 2014 12:00pm EST.

Prior to starting your submission process, please click here to review the slide show with information about the process.

All abstracts should be submitted by clicking the links to the left.

All submissions must be completed electronically. No hard copies will be accepted. The system is very user-friendly and information about technical assistance is available. Please read the following instructions carefully before clicking on the links to begin an abstract submission.

Sage Products, Inc. will provide the WOCN® Society with an unrestricted educational grant to provide a limited number of travel scholarships to support first-time abstract presenters with a focus on Preventative Practices for Wounds. If your submission meets this criteria, you should check off the first-time presenter button and make sure you choose Preventative Practices under the Wound category.

Abstract Topics

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Topics for submissions include but are not restricted to:

WOUND

• Dermatological Management/Issues
• Evidence-Based Interventions
• Management of Complex Wounds
• Nutritional Issues in Wound Healing
• Preventative Practices
• Product Selection and Innovations
• Psychosocial and Quality of Life Aspects

OSTOMY

• Clinical Outcomes
• Continent Diversion Issues
• Evidence-Based Interventions
• Product Selection and Innovations
• Psychosocial and Quality of Life Aspects
• Stomal/Peristomal Complications

CONTINENCE

• Assessment Techniques
• Complications of Incontinence: Dermatological Issues; Urinary Tract Infection; Renal Deterioration
• Continence Clinics
• Evidence-Based Treatment and Management
• Issues in Bladder and Bowel Continence Management
• Management of Intractable Incontinence
• Psychosocial and Quality of Life Issues

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

• Clinical Practice Outcomes; Standards of Care; Clinical Pathways
• Computer Software Applications: Database Programs; Statistical Packages; Educational Resources
• Implementing a Pressure Ulcer Prevention Program
• Marketing Strategies to Staff, Administrators, Peers
• Restructuring in Health Care Settings, Strategies for Survival
• Role Justification Issues: Data Collection; Cost/Benefit Studies; CQI Programs Specific to the WOC Nurse Scope of Practice
• Satisfaction Measurement

General Information

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All "Research" abstracts submitted are eligible for oral or poster presentation at the 2015 WOCN® Annual Conference. Authors of top ranking research abstracts will be invited to present their findings during a general session. In addition, the reviewers will select other top "Research" abstracts to be presented during several Concurrent Sessions identified by the Conference Planning Committee. Those "Research" abstracts not chosen for an oral presentation will also be considered for poster presentations.

The author must submit abstracts of COMPLETED work. Previously presented research is acceptable for submission and must be disclosed. Duplicate abstracts published in previous JWOCN® Scientific and Clinical Abstracts will not be accepted.

Abstract submission implies that the primary/corresponding author has the consent of all authors and has obtained necessary institutional clearances. All authors must complete the online verification and credential information. ALL AUTHORS MUST BE ADDED AT THE TIME OF SUBMISSION. Please keep in mind that if the abstract is accepted it is published in a supplement of the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing.

Policy to Ensure Content Integrity in CNE

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Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

As such, we must ensure that the content of any activity accredited for continuing nursing education (CNE) adheres to the criteria, standards and policies dictated by the ANCC (and affiliated accrediting entities). To do so, we must receive information from you to help us determine if you have a real or potential conflict of interest. This is outlined by the ANCC by applying the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support™. There are a few key definitions and information you need to understand to help us comply with these requirements.

Definitions of the following terms: commercial interest, relevant relationship

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) defines an organization as having a commercial interest (“Commercial Interest Organization”)* if it:

• Produces, markets, sells or distributes health care goods or services consumed by or used on patients;
• Is owned or operated, in whole or in part, by an organization that produces, markets, sells or distributes health care goods or services consumed by or used on patients; or
• Advocates for use of the products or services of commercial interest organizations.

(*Reference: Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards of Commercial Support, August 2007 (www.accme.org) - ANCC’s definition is intended to ensure compliance with Food and Drug Administration Guidance on Industry-Supported Scientific and Educational Activities and consistency with the ACCME definition)

Relevant relationships, as defined by ANCC, are relationships with a commercial interest if the products or services of the commercial interest are related to the content of the educational activity.

Who must disclose information

All persons in a position to control or exert influence over the content of a CNE activity MUST disclose to WOCN all relevant relationships with a commercial interest (as defined above); the ANCC considers relationships of a spouse, partner or close family member to be those of the person disclosing. Any person who does not disclose will be excused from participation.

What information must be disclosed

• Relationships with any commercial interest of the individual’s spouse/partner may be relevant relationships and must be reported, evaluated, and resolved.
• Evidence of a relevant relationship with a commercial interest may include but is not limited to receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest (stock and stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds), grants, contracts, or other financial benefit directly or indirectly from the commercial interest.
• Financial benefits may be associated with employment, management positions, independent contractor relationships, other contractual relationships, consulting, speaking, teaching, membership on an advisory committee or review panel, board membership, and other activities from which remuneration is received or expected from the commercial interest.
• If the research or costs of producing the content to be used in this activity were funded in part or whole by a commercial interest; this includes in-kind donations, travel expenses, production of posters, handouts, etc.

What does WOCN do with this information?

Information disclosed to WOCN is reviewed to determine if a conflict of interest exists. The WOCN Lead Nurse Planner (LNP) will work with the discloser to resolve the conflict, this includes but is not limited to; limiting the participation of the individual, peer review of content, excusing the individual, not awarding contact hours for the portion of the activity, and as otherwise warranted by the WOCN LNP. The information is also used to disclose to the audience.

Protecting Against Bias

Generic Names

Use of GENERIC name of products is allowed in the body of the abstract and in the poster/oral presentations. If mentioned in titles, the GENERIC names of products are to be used. Brand names and company names may be identified only once in an acknowledgement section. Presentations that constitute promotion and advertising, including pervasive or inappropriate use of logos will not be accepted. No company product information may be displayed or disseminated in conjunction with the oral or poster presentation. If the cost of a presentation has been underwritten to any extent, a disclosure stating the support and identifying the source will be required at the time of the abstract submission and will be required with the oral or poster presentation (e.g., "The support of [Corporation or Institution] for this project is gratefully acknowledged."). Statements should not be viewed as or considered representative of any formal stance or position taken on any subject, issue, or product by the WOCN® Society.

Company Logos, Slogans or Tag Lines

The logos, slogans or tag lines (or for that matter any marketing or advertising content) of a commercial interest are not to be used in presentations. Further, WOCN strongly advises against the use of any company logos, tag lines or slogans in the content of a presentation, regardless of the company’s status as a commercial interest. While the policies are intended to protect against undue influence by commercial interests, WOCN also recognizes that other organizations, not meeting the definition of commercial support may stand to benefit financially by the promotion of their company or products/services and this may create a bias for the planners or faculty who have a relationship with the company. The test for this is to ask yourself if the audience members are customer targets of the entity whose logo or materials are to be presented. If the answer is yes, then WOCN recommends against use. Please consider this in the development and presentation of your abstract.

Copyright/Patents

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Please provide appropriate symbols and references and secure all permissions if dealing with copyrighted material and/or patents. This is solely the author(s) responsibility to secure these permissions. The WOCN® Society has no responsibility whatsoever in securing these permissions.

References

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Please give credit to all references used in the development of the abstract/poster. Oversight of reference may result in abstract/poster rejection.

Submission Instructions

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Please provide all information requested on the on-line submission form. Noncompliance with the instructions will result in immediate rejection. Please keep in mind the following:

• All authors are required to submit verification of credentials and authorship. Only authors who undergo this process may be included and listed authors on the abstract and subsequent poster.
• A title for the presentation that informs the reader of the subject matter.
• Limit the abstract to 300 words, single-spaced. Please be sure that your abstract describes the work performed.
• A minimum of three (3) patients are required (unless the case is complex or a unique situation and/or a unique technology is used) for all "Case Study" abstract submissions.
• Images or photos will not be accepted at the time of abstract submission.
• The abstract will be blind-reviewed, so please make sure that neither author(s) name(s) nor facility affiliations appear in the body of the abstract.
• References may be submitted. The number of references is restricted to no more than five (5). There is a separate area to provide references.
• Disclosure of all sources of support is mandatory. There is a separate area to disclose support. BRAND NAMES CANNOT BE INCLUDED IN YOUR ABSTRACT- NO EXCEPTIONS. Please note only the generic term in the body of the abstract.

The Review Process

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The review process is completed by individuals from the 2015 WOCN® National Conference Planning Committee and content/research experts. Abstracts are blind reviewed (meaning that the person who reads and rates an abstract does not know the name of the author(s)) and then accepted or rejected based on an average of several scores.

The numerical rankings for the different criteria of an abstract are then averaged and used to decide to accept or reject the abstract. Only research abstracts will be considered for oral presentations.

All abstracts are reviewed for compliance with the above instructions. The abstract reviewers will use the following criteria to score each abstract:

• For Research Abstracts

1. Topic: is the topic significant to wounds, ostomy, continence, and/or professional practice?
2. Purpose: is the purpose/objective clearly stated?
3. Methodology: are the methods described and appropriate?
4. Statistics: have appropriate statistical methods been used?
5. Results: are the results presented in sufficient detail to address the research questions or aim?
6. Conclusion: are conclusions supported by data presented in the abstract?
7. Clarity: is the abstract well written? Are ideas clearly communicated?

• For Practice Innovation Abstracts

1. Topic: is the topic significant to wounds, ostomy, continence, and/or professional practice?
2. Purpose: is the purpose clearly stated? Is a description included that identifies the need for the practice innovation?
3. Objective: is the objective clearly stated? Is a summary of the purpose and objectives for the practice innovation included?
4. Outcomes: are the outcomes included that relate to the problem and objective(s)? Are the key measures or indicators used to evaluate the outcomes described?
5. Clarity: is the abstract well written? Are ideas clearly communicated?

• For Case Study Abstracts

1. Statement of Clinical Problem: is the clinical problem/challenge clearly articulated and relevant to WOC nursing practice? Are relevant clinical data included (age, gender, primary related diagnosis, and relevant comorbidities)?
2. Description of Past Management: is the duration of the clinical problem stated? Are past management approaches and patient response described?
3. Current Clinical Approach: is the management plan and any changes made to it described along with rationale?
4. Patient Outcomes: is the patient response described, including time frame for response, objective and subjective data?
5. Are there are least 3 patients included unless a very specific or unusual case or technology is used?
6. Conclusions: are clinical implications identified along with limitations? Has the author limited conclusions to this case only, without generalization to general population?

Case Study and Practice Innovation abstracts receiving the highest scores will be accepted for poster presentations only. Notification will be sent by February 4, 2015.

Primary authors of the Research abstracts selected for oral and poster presentations will be notified by February 4, 2015.

Upon notification of acceptance, authors are required to respond within the required timeframe with intent or refusal to present. Only abstracts with intention to present at conference will be published in the JWOCN. The presenting author(s) will have a deadline to register for conference. If the presenting author fails to register the paper will be withdrawn from the supplement and from the conference.

All accepted abstracts will be published in a supplement to the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing (JWOCN), which will include each abstract’s author and author affiliation. The email address of all author(s) will also be included.

Before publication in the supplement all abstracts are reviewed for content. The WOCN® Society reserves the right to make minor edits to the abstract; such as, the correct use of the term WOCN® Society and WOC nurse. If there are more complex changes that need to be made the primary author will be notified.

The WOCN® Society invites all authors to submit their abstract (not mandatory) in the form of a manuscript to the JWOCN for later publication. Information regarding the process for manuscript submission to the JWOCN can be found on the JWOCN® website under the For Authors Section (in the top right-hand corner). This is not a requirement that must be fulfilled before presenting at the Annual Conference.

Oral Presentations:

Only the primary author will make the presentation unless another author is approved by the 2015 WOCN® Abstract Chair. Time for oral presentations will vary and will be communicated to authors well in advance of the date of the presentation.

Poster Presentations:

Authors of accepted poster abstracts must install and dismantle their poster per the abstract schedule (located on the back of the poster guidelines). All authors must be at their posters on Tuesday, June 9, 2015 from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm. Awards for the top abstract in each category will be announced at 1:00 pm.

Handouts are encouraged. No audiovisual equipment will be available. Please note the maximum size of the poster cannot be larger than the board provided at the conference center which is 4’ x 8’. Supplies for mounting posters will be available. Notification will be sent as to the location of the poster session and the times for set up in advance of the Annual Conference. Guidelines will also be available on this site.

Onsite poster review

Posters will be reviewed by the 2015 WOCN® Abstract Chair/designee and judges. Infractions that violate these published guidelines could result in a poster being temporarily altered or even removed from display. Please follow the guidelines carefully to avoid these scenarios.

If an abstract is accepted for poster presentation, specific information about layout, including a tutorial on poster layout/development will be available post notification of acceptance.

At least one author must register to attend the WOCN® Annual Conference by February 15, 2015.

Thank you for submission of your work!

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