Getting the most out of IDWeek 2018

IDWeek, whose theme is Advancing Science, Improving Care, is the combined annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS). As always, IDWeek 2018 will cover the gamut of adult infectious diseases and their treatment, disease epidemiology, and pediatric infectious disease.

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The organizers have provided an interactive planning tool for attendees to create their own schedule. Features of the personal planner include:

Browse/Search: Gives several options for searching or browsing the program, including searching to quickly find a specific author and/or topic of interest.

My Schedule: Displays the sessions or abstracts/posters that the user has chosen to attend concisely.

My Bookmarks: Allows the user to create a hyperlinked list of bookmarks for future reference, including sessions not attended.

Anyone who’s interested can see the entire program online here and can browse by date and by the program tracks that comprise the following: Adult ID, Epidemiology & Infection Control, Global ID, HIV-STD-TB, Investigative ID, Pediatric ID, Trainee, and Transplant ID.

According to the organizers, “with so many common issues and challenges cutting across our four disciplines, IDWeek provides an opportunity to learn from each other’s knowledge, experience and expertise, for the improvement of patient care and public health.”

IDWeek 2018 is being held at the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco, with the official program beginning on Wed., Oct. 3, at 1:30 p.m., and ending on Sun., Oct. 7, at 10:45 a.m.

Valuable premeeting workshops will be offered on Tuesday, including sessions on antimicrobial stewardship and research training program and grant-writing strategies, and on Wednesday morning, when there will be workshops, including those on TB, hepatitis C, and how to use the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework to develop guidelines.

And while you are in San Francisco for the meeting, be sure to check out the various sights and entertainment opportunities available there. Many websites highlight the fun and interesting things to do while in the city and can help you plan your stay, including the comprehensive SanFranciscoTravel page.