ACCME Guidelines for Compliance
Please view before proceeding
Authors, submit your original science for an oral presentation, interactive poster presentation, or digital poster by June 8, 2022. During the submission process, we also invite you to review and apply for various subspecialty awards, including the CNS Resident Award. View the list of abstract awards.
When is the submission deadline?
Wednesday, June 8, 2022, at 11:59 pm EST
How do I submit an abstract?
Go directly to the 2022 CNS Annual Meeting Abstract Center.
CNS Members: You can log in to the abstract center using your CNS Account email and password.
Non-members: If you previously submitted an abstract, you may already have a username and password. If so, try the “Forgot my password” link and type your email address in the box. If you don’t get a username/password from that, create an account.
If you are not a member and have not used the abstract center before, you can simply register by clicking on the blue “Create an Account” button within the Abstract Center.
Submit Your Abstract
Can I submit more than one abstract?
There is no limit to the number of abstracts you may submit.
All abstracts submitted must be original science, not previously presented as peer-reviewed original science at any other regional, national, or international scientific conference. Prior presentation by students/trainees at local research symposia is acceptable.
What are the presentation formats?
Abstracts presented as part of the CNS Annual Meeting Scientific Program are comprised of four distinct abstract presentation formats: Oral Presentations, 3 min Mini-Podium Presentations, Printed Poster Presentations, and Digital Poster Presentations.
Final abstract presentation format will be at the discretion of the Scientific Program Committee.
Oral Presentations are selected from the highest ranked abstracts from each neurosurgical subspecialty for podium presentation in scientific sessions.
Mini-Podium Presentations are selected from highly ranked abstracts and will be presented as 3-minute podium presentations during the Interactive Multimedia Research Presentation Session. Each is accompanied by a physical poster which is printed and hung by the CNS.
Printed Poster Presentations are also selected from highly ranked abstracts and are printed and hung by the CNS. They are displayed during the Interactive Multimedia Research Presentation Session, during which poster judges will review the work and present awards. There is no podium presentation associated with a printed poster presentation, but authors are encouraged to attend the session to discuss their work with the audience informally.
Digital Posters are created in the CNS digital poster center and are displayed electronically on multiple screens in the CNS Xperience Lounge during open Exhibit Hall hours. Viewers can search by title, subject, or author to find a digital poster to view on the screen. There is no podium presentation associated with a digital poster presentation.
All abstracts that are accepted, regardless of format, will also be displayed continuously throughout the meeting as a Digital Poster, available for viewing on multiple screens in the CNS Xperience Lounge during open Exhibit Hall hours Monday-Wednesday and after the Annual Meeting on the CNS website. Meeting participants have the opportunity to review copies of any poster at their convenience throughout the meeting. Your original abstract will be converted to a Digital Poster upon acceptance and you will be able to edit and further enhance it prior to the Digital Poster deadline of August 18, 2022. Digital posters cannot be edited after the August 18, 2022 deadline.
How can I apply for an award?
Once logged in to the Abstract Center, select the "General Information" tab. Choose the award for which you would like to apply (view the list of abstract awards). Description and qualifications are listed.
There are also a number of awards for which all submitted abstracts will be considered. A list of these can be found here.
You may apply for the following for each abstract:
- One subspecialty award
- CNS Resident Award
How can I add authors?
Search the database for author names on the "Authors" tab. If the authors are not in the database, select “Add a New Author.” Once the Abstract Center closes, you will not be able to add or delete authors.
What information is required?
- Title
- Abstract (300-word maximum) separated into:
- Introduction
- Objective
- Methods
- Results
- Conclusion
- Disclosure of conflict of interest
Please note: Abstracts selected for the Annual Meeting cannot contain advertising, trade names, or a product-group message. Please include generic names or terms in your abstract content. If the abstract includes trade names, names from several companies should be used, not just trade names from a single company, in order to present all available treatment options. If trade names or company names are included in your abstract, we reserve the right to remove them to ensure all scientific content is free from commercial bias.
In accordance with ACCME standards, please note that the presenter of any accepted abstract cannot be employed by a commercial interest.
Can I add images to my abstract?
Up to five images may be attached to your submission. Images cannot be in PDF format.
Can I edit my abstract once it has been submitted?
Edits can be made until the Abstract Center submission deadline. Edits may include changing the title, adding or deleting authors, or changing the abstract body. Once the review process begins, no changes to the submissions are allowed. Typographical or spelling errors, improperly formatted titles, etc., will not be edited by anyone at the CNS. It is the responsibility of the submitter to review and verify all work submitted. After making changes to an abstract, remember to resubmit the abstract even if previously submitted.
All titles should be in “Title-case Format” with the first letter of each major word capitalized. Smaller conjunction or article words, such as “in, of, on, a, for” should be in lower case.
Example: Current Surgeon Opinions Concerning the Indications for Surgery in Metopic Craniosynostosis
Who will review the abstracts?
All abstracts are blindly reviewed by a committee of qualified neurosurgeons.
When will I be notified of the results?
Notifications of the Abstract Selection Committee's decision will be sent at the end of July via email to the corresponding authors of all abstracts, regardless of the outcome.
Clinical Neurosurgery
Abstracts selected for Oral Presentation, Interactive Poster Presentation, and awards are published in Clinical Neurosurgery. Please note that figures, tables, references, and honorary US degrees are removed from the abstracts prior to publication in Clinical Neurosurgery.
Content Without Commercial Bias
The CNS must ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its educational activities. It is an ACCME requirement that audiences at educational programs for which continuing medical education hours are awarded be informed of a presenter’s academic and professional affiliations, and the existence of any significant financial interest or other relationship an author or co-author has with the manufacturer(s) of any commercial product(s) or services. Any such relationship must be disclosed.
In accordance with ACCME standards, please note that the presenter of any accepted abstract cannot be employed by a commercial interest. Employees of commercial interests are prohibited from having any role in the planning or implementation of CME activities related to the commercial interest’s business lines or products.
ACCME Guidelines for Compliance
Your abstract and/or poster will be reviewed for compliance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education.
Below are lists of guidelines to assist you in developing the highest quality educational content and materials. These guidelines also ensure compliance to the CNS’ CME Policies.
Before submitting to the 2022 CNS Annual Meeting Abstract Center, please review for the following to ensure compliance.
You may be required to edit your submission if it is found to be noncompliant with these standards:
- ACCME and HIPPA Compliance- All individually identifiable health information regarding a client or patient must be sufficiently edited or modified to ensure HIPPA compliance.
- Standard 1: Ensure Content is Valid
- Presentations must give a balanced view of therapeutic options. All recommendations for patient care must be based on current science, evidence, and clinical reasoning.
- New and evolving topics must be clearly identified in the presentation slides.
- Standard 2: Prevent Commercial Bias and Marketing in Accredited Continuing Education
- Faculty must not promote or sell products or services that serve their professional or financial interest during accredited education.
- Presentations must be free of commercial bias for or against any company, product, drug, or device.
- Educational materials (slides, abstracts, handouts, videos, and photos) must not include:
- Ineligible companies’ corporate or product logos.
- Company, product, drug, or device brand/trade names. (Use generic names)
- If brand/trade names are listed, there MUST be at least two (2) other names listed to avoid the perception of bias.
- If only one is listed, it must be proven the ONLY or the BEST product, device, or drug available.
- All logos or brand names visible in photos or videos must be completely covered.
- Product promotional material.
DISCLOSURES
The CNS is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). We appreciate your help in partnering with us to follow accreditation guidelines and help us create high-quality education independent of industry influence. To participate as a person in control of the educational content of this accredited CE activity, we ask that all invited planners, faculty, and speakers disclose all financial relationships with any ineligible companies* that you have had over the past 24 months.
ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education require providers to mitigate relevant financial relationships to prevent commercial bias and disclose the presence or absence of all relevant financial relationships to learners prior to the activity.
According to Standard 3.2 of the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, “Owners and employees of ineligible companies must be excluded from controlling content or participating as planners or faculty in accredited education”.
In compliance with the ACCME standards, please note the following CNS policies.
- The Presenting Author of any accepted abstract /poster cannot be employed by an ACCME defined Ineligible Company*.
- Employees of commercial interests are prohibited from having any role in the planning or implementation of CME activities related to the Ineligible Company’s business lines or products.
*An ineligible company are those who primary business is producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care products used by, on patients. The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical service directly to patients to be commercial interests. A commercial interest is not eligible for ACCME accreditation or participation in Joint Providership.