Conference Guidelines

ACCME Accreditation
The American Academy of Neurology Institute (AANI) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CME Mission Statement
View the AANI’s CME Mission Statement.

AMA Credit Designation
The American Academy of Neurology Institute (AANI), a subsidiary of the AAN, designates this live/enduring activity for a maximum of (*) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

*See individual program descriptions for the maximum number of credits per program.

Accredited and Non-Accredited Offerings
The AAN offers a variety of activities as part of its conferences. Not all activities are accredited for continuing medical education (CME). Those programs that are accredited indicate the number of CME offered. If zero or no credits are noted, they are non-CME programs. Also, the AAN is the only source of CME education at AAN conferences. No other providers can provide CME and/or CME activities.

Claiming CME
CME hours can be claimed by completing the program evaluation by the deadline specified for the specific conference. Transcripts will be available upon evaluation submission. AAN members can also access their transcript via NeuroTracker™.

Certificates for Non-physicians
Non-physicians participating in AAN programming will receive an acknowledgment of participation indicating attendance at an activity designated for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.

ABPN Statement
The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology has reviewed the relevant AAN conference and has approved the program as a part of a comprehensive lifelong learning program, which is mandated by the ABMS as a necessary component of continuing certification.

AMA CME Definition/Educational Content of Certified CME
The AMA HOD and the Council on Medical Education have defined continuing medical education as follows: CME consists of educational activities which serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills, and professional performance and relationships that a physician uses to provide services for patients, the public, or the profession. The content of CME is the body of knowledge and skills generally recognized and accepted by the profession as within the basic medical sciences, the discipline of clinical medicine, and the provision of health care to the public. (HOD policy #300.988)

Definition of Certified CME

• Nonpromotional learning activities certified for credit prior to the activity by an organization authorized by the credit system owner, or
• Nonpromotional learning activities for which the credit system owner directly awards credit

Accredited CME providers may certify nonclinical subjects (e.g., office management, patient-physician communications, or faculty development) for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ as long as these are appropriate to a physician audience and benefit the profession, patient care, or public health. CME activities may describe or explain complementary and alternative health care practices. As with any CME activity, these need to include discussion of the existing level of scientific evidence that supports the practices. However, education that advocates specific alternative therapies or teaches how to perform associated procedures, without scientific evidence or general acceptance among the profession that supports their efficacy and safety, cannot be certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Content Validation
The AANI, as an ACCME-accredited provider, is responsible for validating the clinical content of CME activities that it provides.

Accredited providers are responsible for ensuring that their education is fair and balanced and that any clinical content presented supports safe, effective patient care.

1. All recommendations for patient care in accredited continuing education must be based on current science, evidence, and clinical reasoning, while giving a fair and balanced view of diagnostic and therapeutic options.
2. All scientific research referred to, reported, or used in accredited education in support or justification of a patient care recommendation must conform to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
3. Although accredited continuing education is an appropriate place to discuss, debate, and explore new and evolving topics, these areas need to be clearly identified as such within the program and individual presentations. It is the responsibility of accredited providers to facilitate engagement with these topics without advocating for, or promoting, practices that are not, or not yet, adequately based on current science, evidence, and clinical reasoning.
4. Organizations cannot be accredited if they advocate for unscientific approaches to diagnosis or therapy, or if their education promotes recommendations, treatment, or manners of practicing healthcare that are determined to have risks or dangers that outweigh the benefits or are known to be ineffective in the treatment of patients.

Core Competencies
Core competencies are specific to each session and can be found on the conference-specific program search.

Disclaimer
The primary purpose of the AAN/AANI program is to meet the educational needs of its members and address practice gaps by providing practice-oriented and scientifically based educational activities that will maintain and advance competence and performance in the field of neurology.

A diversity of opinions exists in the medical field and the views of the conference faculty do not represent those of the AAN/AANI or constitute endorsement by the AAN/AANI. The AAN/AANI disclaims any and all liability for the claims that may result from the use or nonuse of information, publications, therapies, and/or services discussed during its conferences.

The activities conducted, and content distributed, during the AAN/AANI conference are for educational purposes only and do not constitute or substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. EEGs, examples of neurologic exams, and other activities conducted during conferences are not for diagnostic or treatment purposes, do not establish a patient-physician relationship, do not constitute the practice of medicine, and are not conclusive as to the absence or presence of any health condition. The AAN/AANI does not recommend or endorse any specific physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned. Reliance on any information provided is solely at participant’s own risk. The AAN/AANI is not liable to any participant or anyone else for any decision made or action taken by based on reliance upon the information provided during the program.

Liability
Participant assumes any and all liability associated with participation in AAN/AANI educational programs, conferences, and related activities, and releases the American Academy of Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology Institute, and their contractors from any claims that may arise. The AAN/AANI is not liable for any claims whatsoever for personal injury, illness, death, or damages of any kind as a result of or caused by participation. Participation is voluntary. 

Planner and Faculty Disclosure of Financial Relationships
Consistent with the AAN/AANI and ACCME policies, CME planners and faculty must disclose all financial relationship with all ineligible companies (e.g., commercial entities or commercial interests) within the prior 24 months. The AAN/AANI has processes in place to mitigate any identified conflicts of interests. Full disclosure of CME planner and faculty’s relationships will appear on AAN.com or in the AAN Conferences mobile app.

Unlabeled Use Disclosure
The AANI requires all faculty members to disclose if a product is not labeled for the use being discussed or that the product is still investigational. Such disclosures will appear in the individual program materials. 

Contact Information Sharing for CME Programs
The AAN Institute, as an ACCME accredited provider, does not share the names or contact information for any of our learners with any “ineligible company” or its agents without the explicit consent of the individual learner. (ACCME defines “ineligible companies” as those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare care products used by or on patients.)

Grants
Some education and scientific programs are supported in part by educational grants from ineligible companies (e.g., commercial entities). Although educational grants are received, all programs are developed and implemented solely by the AANI/AAN with no influence from ineligible companies. The terms, conditions, and purposes of the commercial support are documented in a written agreement between the AAN/AANI and commercial supporter.

Disclosure of educational grants will occur in one or more of the following formats: through acknowledgment statements in housekeeping slides, signs outside of the room, verbally from the podium, through acknowledgment statements on the program webpage, or an announcement at the start of the virtual video.

RFID Notice
In-person attendance in certain AAN areas may be captured by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). The attendee’s Meeting ID badge may include an embedded RF chip. As the attendee enters and exits these meeting rooms, the electronic reader will capture the attendee’s AAN member ID number, registration confirmation number, and the time of entry and exit. This information will be used by the AAN to plan future meetings. Some aggregate, depersonalized data may be shared with parties outside of the AAN. No information will be sold to or shared with anyone outside of AAN.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The AAN is committed to intentional actions to be a fully inclusive, deliberately diverse, and anti-racist organization that respects and values our membership, our staff, and the communities we serve. We actively promote diversity, equity and inclusion in neurology and the neurosciences. As part of this commitment, the AAN is working to ensure we provide a conference environment and educational programming that is fully inclusive, deliberately diverse, and anti-racist. If you have questions about these efforts, identify areas for improvement, or have concerns regarding attendee or staff behavior, please contact Member Services at (800) 879-1960, memberservices@aan.com, or conference staff.

Professional Conduct & Anti-harassment
The AAN expects all meeting participants, including attendees, members, speakers, staff, contractors, vendors, and exhibitors, to behave respectfully, responsibly, and professionally towards each other, and to abide by the AAN’s Meeting Anti-harassment Policy, during the conference. The AAN is committed to providing a conference environment that is free from all forms of discrimination and harassment. Violations of this policy may be reported to Member Services at (800) 879-1960, memberservices@aan.com, or to conference staff.

Accessibility
The AAN strives to make our conferences accessible. The AAN is committed to building and sustaining an inclusive organization that respects and values the diversity of our membership and the communities we serve. We are continually improving our on-site offerings and digital assets to comply with current best practices and accessibility guidelines. If you have questions regarding accessibility of the in person or online experience and associated content, please contact registration@aan.com.

Authorization for Use of Image, Name, and Other Likeness
By attending the AAN meeting or logging into the meeting’s website(s) or application(s) and engaging in any activities or interactive features, you agree that AAN/AANI and/or third parties authorized by AAN/AANI may photograph or record your likeness, image, name, voice, and/or words, and may publish, display, reproduce, copy, and distribute your likeness, image, name, voice, and/or words for promotional, educational, or membership activities worldwide in all forms of media now known or later developed, including but not limited to advertising, training, websites, presentations, and marketing materials. You further acknowledge that AAN/AANI and/or third parties authorized by AAN/AANI have the right, but not the obligation, to identify you in connection with such media by name and/or affiliation. No royalties will be payable in connection with this authorization or these uses.

Social Media
The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) encourages all AAN conference attendees to share their experience on social media using the official conference hashtag. When doing so, please adhere to the following AAN Meetings Social Media Policies:

• Photography and screenshots of presentations are permitted for personal use only. Photography or screenshots for commercial use are strictly prohibited.*
• Do not disrupt fellow attendees.
• Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner.
• Do not post confidential or identifiable patient information.
• Do not post any material that is defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, illegal, or violates any third party’s rights.
• Videography, including live streaming, is strictly prohibited regardless of intended use.
• Usage of the AAN logo or an AAN conference logo on social media is prohibited.

The AAN has the right to ask any AAN conference attendee to remove a social post or to stop taking photos or recording video at any time.

*Members of the press must follow the AAN Press Policies.

AAN Name and Logo Restrictions
Exhibitions, marketing materials, sponsorship promotions, non-AAN events or programs, and non-AAN communications must not state or imply an endorsement by the AAN/AANI or the AAN Annual Meeting/Regional Conferences or misuse the AAN or the AAN Annual Meeting/AAN Regional Conferences logos or official conference names. No materials of any kind, including social media posts, outside of those produced and distributed by the AAN, will be allowed to use either the AAN logo or the AAN Annual Meeting/Regional Conferences logos, in part or in full, unless there is a contractual obligation. Implied relationships or false representations of endorsements are strictly prohibited. Promotional references to official AAN meeting names are allowed to develop on-site traffic and awareness such as:

• “Come see us at the 2024 AAN Annual Meeting”
• “See you at the 2023 AAN Fall Conference”

Electronic Devices
The AAN requests that participants turn all electronic devices to silent mode for all conference programs. 

Language
The official language of AAN conferences is English except for content specifically developed in a different language. No simultaneous translation is available. 

No Smoking
For the health and comfort of everyone, smoking, including the use of electronic cigarettes, is prohibited at AAN conferences and functions, which include all education and scientific activities and social functions, including virtual settings.

Press and Media Room
Only authorized journalists approved for press registration by the AAN may use the Press and Media Room on site and access content online, as outlined in the AAN Annual Meeting Press Room Attendee Policies. Journalists must apply for press registration by the deadline stated in the AAN Annual Meeting Press Registration Policies. For in-person meetings, journalists must also provide proper credentials and check in at the Press and Media Room. For more information, email media@aan.com.

We want you to enjoy a safe experience while attending any AAN meeting. While the AAN continues to recommend people are up to date on COVID-19 vaccination, attendees of AAN meetings are not required to be vaccinated or verify vaccination status. In addition, masks are optional for AAN meetings and prior antigen testing is not required.

AAN continues to encourage attendees to practice safe measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, including using social distancing, testing when appropriate, taking recommended actions when symptomatic or having tested positive, and wearing a mask if you choose. We will continue to follow best practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and abide by any legal mandates and recommendations from government officials in the location of any AAN meeting. These protocols and information are subject to change.

Please note, even with safeguards and the AAN’s overarching commitment to attendee wellness, there remains a risk of contracting COVID-19.