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Starting on June 2, the nation's capital will host more than 15,000 gastroenterologists, hepatologists, and gastroenterologic surgeons and endoscopists as they gather for the (DDW).
The meeting is sponsored by four prominent societies:
- The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)
- The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)
- The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE)
- The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT)
"That is a strength of DDW -- having four societies together, so you can combine the expertise and insights in many diseases across specialties," DDW Council Chair Grace H. Elta, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, told MedPage Today.
"Every year about half of our sessions are research driven, focusing on the latest research in gastroenterology, hepatology, and GI surgery, and the other half are clinical updates, which are educational sessions for clinicians," she said. "We tend to think that medicine doesn't change all that quickly, but it actually does. When I was a trainee there were diagnoses in gastroenterology we didn't even know about, but that now are everyday accepted diagnoses. And not to mention all the treatments -- it's changed dramatically."
As usual, many things will be going on at once at the meeting, so in recent years the planners have developed a "track" system and an to help attendees choose among the myriad offerings.
A new feature this year will be small cafe-type sessions, with experts presiding over roundtables in which participants can ask questions and talk about cases for both clinical topics and basic science.
The plenary sessions for each society will feature the "best of the best," Elta said. These tend to be topics of general interest to appeal to large audiences. For instance, the AGA presidential plenary on Monday will feature talks on eosinophilic esophagitis, colorectal cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease. Other AGA special sessions will include talks on ecologically friendly antibiotics, alternative treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, and various aspects of microbiome research.
Special features from the AASLD include clinical symposia on the genetic causes of cholestatic liver diseases, as well as hepatitis C virus cures and new approaches to alcoholic liver disease. Both ASGE and SSAT will be featuring video sessions, along with presidential plenary sessions and postgraduate courses.
"And of course, Washington D.C. is a great city," Elta added. "In terms of restaurants and culture, it's hard to beat. This should be of particular interest to the 50% of attendees who are international."