Program areas at AANEM
Annual meeting/education and publications - the purpose of the annual meeting is to provide physicians with a large forum to exchange ideas and provide continuing education for updating and acquiring greater knowledge about the diagnosis and treatment of Neuromuscular and musculoskeletal disease. The meeting also offers an opportunity to learn, enhance, and/or refresh Electrodiagnostic and other diagnostic techniques to improve patient care. This was achieved through a variety of hands-on workshops, courses, expert roundtables, discussion groups, demonstration sessions, symposia, plenary lectures, special interest group sessions, abstract review and presentations, industry forums, and an exhibit hall containing the latest equipment, supplies, books, periodicals, and pharmaceutical treatment options to aid and improve patient care. The purpose of education and publication services is to distribute educational materials to physicians interested in the fields of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine to strengthen physician competence. This purpose was achieved by providing printed educational materials, videos, dvds, web-based, teleconferences, online learning activities, podcasts, and brochures to educate physicians, allied health professionals, patients, and the general public. The material provides information about the field, explains the procedures used to diagnose patients, and the general public. The material provides information about the field, explains the procedures used to diagnose Neuromuscular and musculoskeletal diseases, and discusses treatment options. The goal is to improve patient care. We had 1530 registrants with 93 total sessions
Professional standards - the purpose of professional standards is to use the certification of physicians and technologists and accreditation of Electrodiagnostic laboratories to set and monitor standards to improve patient care and the quality of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. This was acheived through certification examinations for both physicians and technologists, requirements to participate in continuing medical education (cme) activities and continuous certification activities to demonstrate physicians ongoing commitment to lifelong learning and practice improvement following initial board certification,and Electrodiagnostic laboratory accreditation, a peer-reviewed process that acknowledges laboratories for achieving and maintaining the highest level of quality, performance, and integrity based on professional standards, to promote a structured mechanism to assess, evaluate, and improve patient care.
Member services - the purpose of member services is to recruit and maintain membership in the association and distribute educational material and important information regarding the fields of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine and ways to improve patient care. This was achieved through a) member mailings; b) distribution of invited reviews, a professional peer reviewed journal (muscle & nerve), email announcements and enews, and a semi-annual newsletter (Aanem edge); c) creation of educational podcasts, evidence based guidelines, consensus guidelines, and position papers; and d) providing information to members and patients through the association website (www.aanem.org).
Patient advocacy efforts