Call for Presentation Proposals

NHPCO's 2013 Virtual Conference: Live via the Internet
Loss, Grief and Bereavement: Helping Patients, Families and Communities
November 4-8, 2013

Presentation Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, July 23, 2013, 11:59 pm ET

Steps and Instructions:

1. Proposal Notification

   The status of your proposal will be sent to you in July; your proposal will be accepted, rejected or, in some cases, tentatively accepted (i.e. awaiting an opening in the conference schedule of educational sessions so that it can be accepted/scheduled).

2. Target Audience

   Over 5000 people are expected to attend Loss, Grief and Bereavement: Helping Patients, Families and Communities including all members of the hospice/palliative care team and community stakeholders, bereavement professionals, counselors, educators, managers, nurse practitioners, nurses, physicians, researchers, social workers, spiritual caregivers, team leaders, volunteers , volunteer leaders and managers and others working to address loss, grief and bereavement needs and promote innovation and excellence.

3. Selection of Conference Faculty

   Plenary speakers are invited by NHPCO staff. Concurrent and Ignite! presentations are selected through this Call for Presentation Proposals as well as by invitation from NHPCO staff. Preference is given to those with significant expertise and experience presenting at national, state and community events; experience presenting in virtual formats is a plus. A detailed description of the presenter's education, qualifications and presentation experience is required. In addition, each faculty member is required to disclose any relevant financial relationships they have with commercial companies (see Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships with Commercial Companies below).

   NHPCO seeks proposals from a wide variety of professionals involved in end-of-life care; however preference is given to those who are affiliated with an NHPCO member (if applicable).

4. Required Information

   The Conference Planning Committee has asked that we stress the importance of completing ALL requested information for each prospective presenter, which includes educational background, qualifications, professional and presentation experience and disclosure. Conference Planning Committee members review all proposals submitted and their reviews help determine whether a proposal is selected for the conference. Inadequate and/or incomplete information is not viewed favorably by reviewers and directly affects the acceptance of proposals. To ensure your proposal is given serious consideration, provide ALL requested information in the online submission format and ensure that any co-presenters complete required information before proposals enter the review process (generally within one week of the deadline date for the Call for Proposals).

5. Types of Presentations

   The Conference Planning Committee is seeking proposals in the following categories:

   • 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions: Concurrent sessions provide an overview of an innovative program or project, presentation of findings from a research project or quality improvement initiative, review of regulatory changes or highlight industry trends and include a brief Q & A period.
   • Ignite Sessions: An innovative and unique learning format that is spreading across the country will be featured at the conference. Ignite sessions are best summarized by this motto, "Enlighten us, but make it quick." In that vein, each presentation is exactly 5 minutes long. Ignite presenters focus on a single, simple and innovative message that shares personal and professional passions or unique strategies and approaches. Presenters create exactly 20 slides that NHPCO will auto-advance every 15 seconds. Ignite sessions are an ideal way to present:
     • A specific event offered to patients, families or communities
     • An evaluation tool/approach
     • A program to reach diverse populations in diverse settings that has enjoyed success
     • Specific collaboration or partnership examples with community stakeholders
     • A new, innovative and unique approach to addressing patients, families and communities' needs.

6. Areas of Emphasis

   Key areas of emphasis have been identified for this conference; you will be asked to select one of the areas of emphasis below when you submit your proposal.

   Area of Emphasis	Examples of Topic Ideas
   Bereavement Care	Loss/grief and bereavement across the span of care Advanced and/or in-depth bereavement concepts and approaches Time-limited and ongoing group approaches individual and family counseling approaches Successes in novel bereavement services to specific populations (i.e. men, teens, children, families, elders, diverse populations, etc.) Evaluating bereavement services/support efficacy Measuring client adaptation to significant loss Distinguishing complicated grief Community outreach through bereavement services Responding to trauma and disaster Advances in providing care to specific populations (families, children, teens) New risk assessment models and hospice’s role in responding to complicated bereavement Providing bereavement services to children, teens and families Use of ritual in bereavement care Innovative ideas for bereavement support groups Volunteer roles in bereavement Utilizing expressive therapies in work with adults, children, teens and families
   Collaborations and Partnerships	Working with schools to educate and support children, teens and young adults Collaborating with local funeral homes Collaborating with hospitals Partnering with aging care resources Collaborating with long term care facilities and assisted living facilities Partnering with faith-based organizations Collaborating with crisis response teams
   Diverse Populations and Diverse Settings	Innovations in working with families coping with a child’s serious illness Creative approaches to working with pediatric patients and families Psychosocial care of pediatric patients and their families Creative approaches to caring for pediatric patients and their families/communities Program design strategies for starting or expanding a pediatric program Spiritual care of pediatric patients and their families Residential pediatric palliative care Transitioning care for children who survive to adulthood Volunteer programs to engage diverse populations/settings Working with children with special needs Working with families where English is the second language
   Education	Providing education to community agencies: schools, faith communities, healthcare facilities and others Successful "train the trainer" programs
   Interdisciplinary Practice	Interdisciplinary best practices Ensuring the provision of patient/family-centered care Innovative models of interdisciplinary care at the end of life Leading effective teams Staff morale and stress management strategies Interdisciplinary cultural competence – working effectively with diverse patients/families Support for staff who are grieving the death of patients as well as personal loss
   Psychosocial Care	Psychosocial assessment best practices Effective counseling models for end-of-life care Addressing the needs of caregivers Practical tips for caregivers Holding successful family meetings Systems perspectives in psychosocial care Advocacy success models (community, interdisciplinary, community) Interdisciplinary models of psychosocial care Trauma and disaster interventions Working within family systems, beliefs and values to achieve pain and symptom control Use of ritual Life review strategies
   Quality Assessment/Performance Improvement	Demonstrated quality and outcomes in practice Quality collaborative successes in services Quality and performance improvement in facility-based programs Successes in clinical performance improvement projects Ensuring that services are resulting in identified outcomes and improving care
   Regulatory/Compliance	Ensuring that requirements of the Medicare Hospice Conditions of Participation are met Advances in clinical documentation Care plan management
   Spiritual Care	Spiritual assessment advances Effective spiritual care models for end-of-life care Systems perspectives in spiritual care Interdisciplinary models of spiritual care Successes in working with diverse religions, traditions and practices Engaging community clergy in end-of-life care Use of ritual in spiritual care Volunteer spiritual care roles

7. Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships with Commercial Companies

   NHPCO endorses the Standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the American Nurses Credentialing Commission (ANCC) and other professional bodies which specify that sponsors (i.e. NHPCO) of continuing medical education/continuing education activities disclose relevant financial relationships* with commercial interests* whose products or services are discussed in educational presentations.

   NHPCO has implemented a process where everyone who is in a position to control the content of an educational activity must disclose all relevant financial relationships they have with any commercial interest. (This includes NHPCO, as we disclose all educational grants we receive for our conferences, for example, to attendees.)

   If it is determined that a conflict of interest* exists as a result of a relevant financial relationship faculty has, NHPCO will work with the faculty to resolve the conflict prior to the conference. Any faculty who refuse to disclose relevant financial relationships will be disqualified from presenting at this conference.

   Under no circumstances should NHPCO's national conference be used as a place for promotion of a faculty member's product, service or monetary self-interest. NHPCO takes the responsibility for ensuring that conferences are free from commercial bias very seriously, and may decline all future proposals from any faculty that does not abide by this policy.

   * See below for a glossary of terms.

8. Presentation Expectations

   All presentations made at NHPCO conferences must adhere to ACCME's content validation value statements. Specifically, all suggestions or recommendations involving clinical medicine and practice must be based upon evidence that is accepted within the medical profession.

   In addition, all scientific research referred to, reported or used in a conference session must conform to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection and analysis.

   NHPCO faculty is expected to refrain from overt statements, harsh language or pointed humor that disparages the rightful dignity and social equity of any individual or group.

   All materials provided in conference sessions must be reviewed by NHPCO prior to the conference. As a result, deadlines for PowerPoint slides and/or handouts are scheduled well in advance of the conference. Materials not submitted to NHPCO for review in advance will not be available to conference attendees until after the conference; generally two weeks later.

9. Conference Schedule

   To achieve a balanced conference program, NHPCO will determine the days and times that sessions are scheduled. Presenters must be able to speak on the day assigned. NHPCO reserves the right to change the length of any session; faculty will be notified and asked to adjust their content outline accordingly.

10. Proposal Submission Guidelines

    In order to allow an independent evaluation of the relevance and potential effectiveness of the presentation and to afford us the opportunity to apply for continuing education credit for professional disciplines, submissions must include the following:

    • Presentation type (60-minute concurrent session or 5 minute Ignite! session)
    • Title/Overview
      • A title for the presentation that informs the reviewer of the subject matter
      • Submitter's e-mail address
      • Presentation level (competent or expert)
      • Area of emphasis (you will be asked to select a key topic area for your proposal from a drop-down menu)
    • Presenter(s)
      • A completed "Presenter Profile" for each presenter, which includes the presenter's
        • Current position
        • Current contact information with email address
        • Highest degree earned and institutions attended
        • Experience
    • Disclosure for each presenter
    • A 2-3 sentence description of the session (to enable attendees to determine their interest in attending)
    • Objectives, Strategies, Gaps and References
      • Three or more measurable learning objectives (written from the perspective of what participants will learn rather than what the presenter will teach);
      • Identification of teaching strategies
      • Description of what gap in knowledge, practice or outcomes underlies the need for this session
      • Three to five references (professional publications, books and/or research from the past 5 years) that support and document the evidence-base or content validity of the proposal
    • Detailed content outline
      • Identification of all major topics that will be covered in the presentation
      • Detailed description of all discussion, experiential or participatory aspects of the session
      • Adequate information to enable proposal reviewers to discern whether the session will have broad interest, appeal, applicability and whether it will meet one or more of the conference objectives.

    Presentations should demonstrate measurable impact and results. Your emphasis should be on the application of the concept or solution presented using simulations, exercises, and tools that enhance the learning experience. Feedback received from previous conferences indicates that attendees are looking for "real-world" examples of what works and "how-to" suggestions to implement new ideas and programs.

11. Proposal Review and Selection Process

    NHPCO's proposal review process is conducted by members of the Conference Planning Committee, which ensures a rigorous review of every proposal. This Committee is comprised of hospice and palliative care professionals from NHPCO's Professional Education Committee, National Council of Hospice and Palliative Professionals (NCHPP), Council of States, NHPCO committees and other education, hospice and palliative care professionals with demonstrated successes the hospice interdisciplinary team, clinical, psychosocial, spiritual and bereavement aspects of care and quality criteria.

    Proposals are reviewed carefully based on the following criteria:

    • Topic is innovative, relevant and/or related to the conference theme, objectives and goals;
    • Time allocation and presentation content are well organized, with an accurate presentation level;
    • Presenter has appropriate and relevant expertise and experience in the topic area;
    • Learning objectives are measurable and achievable, (view sample);
    • Likelihood of significant interest, appeal, applicability in the session;
    • Quality of practical information: tools, tips, practices, etc. that attendees will be able to implement and/or utilize following the presentation;
    • Identification of relevant professional practice gaps;
    • Relevant reference information.

    The Conference Planning Committee encourages proposals from companies and organizations representing diverse points of view. Proposals are selected on the basis of information submitted. Speakers, session titles, and content are expected to correspond to the proposal. Any speaker substitutions, deletions, or additions must be approved by NHPCO. NHPCO reserves the right to edit accepted presentations for publication on NHPCO's website and in conference materials.

    All materials provided in conference sessions must be reviewed by NHPCO prior to the conference. As a result, deadlines for session handouts and slides are scheduled well in advance of the conference. Materials not submitted to NHPCO for review in advance may not be shown or provided in conference sessions.

    Should you be selected to speak at this NHPCO conference, we ask that you view the opportunity as an important commitment and ensure that you meet all requests and deadlines, and that you deliver the presentation as scheduled. By sharing your expertise, you make a valuable contribution to the end-of-life care field.

12. Electronic Communications

    All potential presenters who submit a proposal will receive e-mail notification of their proposal's status. Once the selection of proposals is complete, a Letter of Understanding (LOU) and other faculty information will be provided to presenters. An electronic message will be sent to all presenters whose proposals were accepted with a link to the Conference Faculty website. This website will include all deadlines and required information needed for the conference. The majority of communication with faculty is electronic.

13. Presenter Registration Discount

    NHPCO does not provide honoraria for concurrent or Ignite! session presentations.

14. Glossary of Terms

    Commercial Interest

    The ACCME defines a "commercial interest" as any proprietary entity producing health care goods or services, with the exemption of non-profit or government organizations and non-health care related companies.

    Financial relationships

    Financial relationships are those relationships in which the individual benefits by receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest (e.g., stocks, stock options or other ownership interest, excluding diversified mutual funds), or other financial benefit. Financial benefits are usually associated with roles such as employment, management position, independent contractor (including contracted research), consulting, speaking and teaching, membership on advisory committees or review panels, board membership, and other activities from which remuneration is received, or expected. ACCME considers relationships of the person involved in the CME activity to include financial relationships of a spouse or partner.

    Relevant financial relationships

    ACCME focuses on financial relationships with commercial interests in the 12-month period proceeding the time that the individual is being asked to assume a role controlling content of the CME activity. ACCME has not set a minimal dollar amount for relationships to be significant. Inherent in any amount is the incentive to maintain or increase the value of the relationship. The ACCME defines "'relevant' financial relationships" as financial relationships in any amount occurring within the past 12 months that create a conflict of interest.

    Conflict of Interest

    Circumstances create a conflict of interest when an individual has an opportunity to affect CME content about products or services of a commercial interest with which he/she has a financial relationship.

15. Technical Support

    For help in submitting an abstract online, email Tech Support.

Begin a submission to the following: