Preparing Abstracts and Poster

Presentations

Keri T. Holmes-Maybank, MDDivision of Hospital MedicineMedical University of South Carolina

Learning Objectives

•Residents will learn to prepare an abstract for submission to a scientific conference.

•Residents will learn to prepare a poster for presentation at a scientific conference.

•Residents will identify elements of successful abstracts and posters.

•Residents will identify pitfalls of unsuccessful abstracts and posters.

Key Messages

•Successful abstracts and posters are heavily edited.

•Successful abstracts and posters follow the guidelines and goals of the scientific conference.

•Successful abstracts and posters are concise and focus on a few key points.

•Successful abstracts and posters have clearly linked learning objectives and conclusions.

Why give a presentation?

•Share knowledge•Experience presenting•Preparation for manuscript publication(34-

77% of posters are published in p-r journals)

•Feedback and criticism•ACGME requires residents to participate in

scholarly activity•Separate yourself from other employment

or fellow candidates

What should be presented?• Clinical practice, education, or research• Common diagnostic, therapeutic, or

management dilemmas• Unique or important teaching points• Increases awareness of condition • EBM• Unusual presentation, complication,

management• Proper or new diagnostic strategy• Cost effective approach• Rare

Where to present?

•Society of General Internal Medicine•Southern Society of General Internal

Medicine•American College of Physicians•South Carolina Chapter American College

of Physicians•Society of Hospital Medicine

•Subspecialty organizations

Abstract•Very concise statement/summary of the

major elements of your vignette, research, or innovation

•Submit to scientific organization for consideration of presentation at the organization’s conference

•Oral▫Only top abstracts▫Usually 8 minutes followed by question and

answer•Poster

▫Large formatted ▫Set up with other presenters in lecture hall▫Set time – attendees will walk by and have

opportunity to discuss poster

Poster vs. Oral

Getting started…

•Ask your attending if good case•Collect history and physical, progress

notes, relevant labs and imaging•Do literature review

•Start by writing what made you interested•Write the case presentation

Specifications

•Each organization has its own specifications▫Length ▫Format

•Read directions!!!!

Writing an abstract – 4 C’s

•Concise – no excess wordiness or information

•Clear – readable, well-organized•Cohesive – flows•Complete – covers the major points

Abstract Tips•Active voice, consistent and correct verb tenses•Simple, short sentences •Grammar correct - The Chicago Manual of Style:

The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers

•Eliminate unnecessary words•Avoid medical jargon•Generic RX•Don’t use >3 abbreviations-spell out first, common•NEVER “first case ever reported”•EDIT, EDIT, EDIT

•Clear take home message •Design around 1-3 key points/objectives•Simple and concise•Don’t be emotionally attached to details•Omit details not essential to the main

message•Want your audience to understand why

your case is of interest to them

Abstract Content Tips

Scientific Abstract

• Introduction

•Methods

•Results

•Discussion

Innovations Abstract

•Statement of Problem or Question

•Objectives of Program/Intervention

•Description of Program/Intervention

•Findings to Date

•Key Lessons Learned

SSGIM – Vignette Abstract

•Learning Objectives

•Case Presentation

•Discussion

ACP – Vignette Abstract

• Introduction (can omit and go straight to case)

•Case description

•Discussion

SHM – Vignette Abstract

•Case Presentation

•Discussion

•Conclusion

Title

• Interesting •Short •Descriptive •Summary •Do not give everything away

Authors

•Presenter should be first author

•Attending should be last author

Affiliation

•Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina

Title

NEW ONSET SEIZURES: REEMERGENCE OF INACTIVE SARCOIDOSIS

Temeia Martin,MD (Resident); William Moran, MDMedical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

SSGIM - Learning Objectives

• Only 1-3 objectives• Clear, concise• Clear link to conclusions• Action-oriented

▫Recognize ▫Diagnose ▫Assess ▫Treat▫Distinguish▫Manage▫ Identify

• NOT – know or understand

ACP - Introduction

•Describes context of the case and explains relevance and importance

•Usually 3-ish sentences

Case Presentation

•BRIEFLY describe case ▫Pertinent HPI, ROS pos/neg, PMHx, SocHx,

FamHx, Rx ▫Pertinent PE findings pos/neg, diagnostic

studies, interventions/treatment▫Patient outcome

•Only PERTINENT info

Discussion

•Emphasize key points• Importance of this case•Different/unique • Implications: teaching, practice, research?•Future: do differently?

•****Make sure is clearly linked to objectives****

•Concise

SSGIM Abstract Criteria

•Clarity of presentation▫Concise, complete, organized, well-written,

focused objectives•Significance/relevance to general internal

medicine▫Unique, interesting. Contextualizes and

describes impact on clinical practice in internal medicine, teaching/education or future research

•Teaching value▫Offers important diagnosis, physical

examination, or management pearls

Why not accepted?

•Poor presentation•Weak discussion•Lack of originality• Inadequate support•Conclusions not tied to learning objectives•Objectives not clearly stated

Successful Abstracts

•Follow the guidelines/directions•Well-written•Meets goals of conference•Basis of future work

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

•To distill down to a brief presentation effectively requires clear thinking, careful planning, and concise, efficient communication.

•Best clinical vignette posters are those that make a small number of points(even just one) clearly and succinctly.

Poster Content Tips

•Clear take home message•Clear why your case is of interest to

audience •Design around 1-3 key points•Don’t be emotionally attached to the details•Omit details not essential to the main

message•Do not include abstract unless required -

redundant

Poster Construction

•Abstract is the basis

• Judicious use of more detail

Poster Tips•BULLET POINTS – simple and concise - PHRASES•Orderly, left to right•Organized - Easy to follow flow of info•Use white space – not overly dense with text•AVOID CLUTTER – simple, user friendly•Use no more than 4 colors•No more than 3 sizes of font•No smaller than 24 point•San Serif fonts: ARIAL, Trebuchet MS, Helvetica•Make it visual – images, tables

Remember

•Anyone who views your poster walks away with key information

•10-10 rule (10 seconds from 10 meters) - Draw them in

•Goal to share information and have many viewers

Poster Outline

•Title

•Authors, institution, location

•Follows abstract outline plus conclusions

Title

•Center, All caps, Largest font on poster•Smaller font for author, institution, city,

and state•Upper and lower case for author,

institution, city and state

ACP Introduction

•Describe the clinical context and relevance•1-3 sentences/phrases•Bullet points if possible

Case Presentation

•BULLET POINTS •Clear, concise•Only pertinent info•Do NOT be emotionally attached to details•Omit any information not relevant to main

message

Case Presentation

•Brief•Relevant HPI•Relevant PMHx, SocHx, FamHx•Ros pertinent positive/negative•PE pertinent positive/negative•Pertinent Laboratory, biopsy, and

imaging•Hospital course•Treatment

Discussion

• Importance of this case to audience•Support your conclusions•Lessons learned•Subheadings for your main message:

▫diagnostic criteria, diagnostic modalities, unusual presentation, description of biopsy results, treatments, guidelines, possible mechanisms

Conclusions

•TAKE HOME MESSAGE •May be all your audience sees•Emphasize key points

Images

•***Real draw to attendees in vignettes***•***Center, top (under title) of poster***•Large, clear•Use arrows•Review with radiologist

Figures and Tables

•Use graphs for a purpose NOT to dress up•Emphasize learning points•Simple - Not too many columns or rows•Label graphs very clearly •Horizontal labels

References

•Really small font • If necessary can print on separate sheet

and attach to bottom right corner

Attendings

•Have your attending review your poster •Provide constructive feedback •Rehearse your overview•Practice for judges questions

•Lisa Fennessy, Art Services•Send the proof to Lisa Fennessy by email –

no pdf•Lisa will print proof same day •Edit proof (maybe several times)•Final proof•Send the final one week before need poster

Getting Your Poster Made

Etiquette

•Prepare a 1-2 minute summary of your poster •Dress professionally•Stand by poster – expected by mtg

coordinators•Be prepared to answer questions from the

judges •Wait for readers to finish•Make eye contact - Put down any food or drink

when discussing poster •Know the flow of your poster and refer to it•Don’t get tipsy before or during presentation

ACP Poster Judging Criteria

•Significance – increase understanding of a disease, improve the diagnosis or treatment

•Presentation – logical, interesting, clearly written, free of grammatical problems

•Visual impact – effective, value of figure and graph

• Interview – knowledgeable, conversant

SSGIM Poster Judging Criteria• Poster Presentation – outstanding organization,

excellent poster format, effective illustrations, appropriate amount of words

• Learning objectives – clearly stated learning objectives, tied to conclusions, supported by data

• Content – clear, concise case description, all RELEVANT patient information, info well organized

• Teaching/educational value – valuable to internists, increases understanding of disease, improves diagnosis or treatment of disease state

• Overall

SSGIM Most Common Pitfalls

•Objectives not clearly stated (content)• Inappropriate amount of words(too many) •Conclusions are not tied into learning

objectives (conclusions)******

Insert Poster Title HereYour name here

Your institution’s name here

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

CASE DESCRIPTIONDISCUSSION

CONCLUSIONS

REFERENCES

Figure 1.. Figure 2.

References• Pierson DJ.

How to Write an Abstract That Will Be Accepted for Presentation at a National Meeting. Respir Care 2004;49(10):1206 –1212.

• Writing a Clinical Vignette (Case Report) Abstract. Wwwacponline.org/residents_fellows/competitions/abstract/prepare/clinvin_abs.htm

• Clinical vignette submission info. wwwsgim.org/index.cfm?pageId=1138

• Estrada C. ACP, SGIM Clinical Vignette Competition: Write an Abstact to Win! www.uab.edu/.../10-01-...

• Ismail MK. How to write an abstract: abstract submission & poster presentation. www.uthsc.edu/Internal/abstract.ppt

• SGIM 29th annual meeting. Vignette Guidelines.• Barrett NF. Developing the successful clinical abstract.

www.barrett-evaluations.com/_pdfs/clinabst.pdf • Southern Society of General Internal Medicine. Southern SGIM call for

vignette submissions. www.sgim.org/index.cfm?pageId=431

References• Society of General Internal Medicine. 2013 Annual

Meeting Important Dates. http://www.sgim.org/index.cfm?pageId=1311

• http://www.hospitalmedicine.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Education/AcademicandResearch/Overview/content.htm Tulsky A, Kouides R. Abstract Presentations. What do SGIM Presenter Prefer? J Gen Intern Med 1998;13:417-418.

• Willett LL, Paranjape A, Estrada C. Identifying Key Components for an Effective Case Report Poster: An Observational Study. J Gen Intern Med 2008;24(3):393-397.

• American College of Physicians. Internal Medicine. Preparing a Poster Presentation.

• Hamilton CW. A Stepwise Approach to Successful Poster Presentations. Chest 2008;134:147-459.