The AHA recognizes important scientific results do not always conveniently coincide with the timing of AHA Scientific Sessions in November. The AHA Emerging Science Series will be one-hour professional quality webinars held two or three times per year. Each session will have two 30-minute blocks consisting of presentations of original research from the following categories: late breaking clinical trials, clinical trial updates of previously presented LBCTs and late breaking basic science. A steering committee will make the final selection from the reviewers’ comments and decide whether to present material from one of the following additional categories: major bench-to-bedside advances, major conference proceedings and major guidelines/policy statements. The live webinars will be viewable from a computer or mobile phone.  The series will be archived for on-demand viewing.  A panel of moderators and discussants will spend more time than allows at November’s Scientific Sessions for discussion and questions. Attendees can ask questions electronically during or after the event. 

The AHA recognizes important scientific results do not always conveniently coincide with the timing of AHA Scientific Sessions in November. The AHA Emerging Science Series will be one-hour professional quality webinars held two or three times per year. Each session will have two 30-minute blocks consisting of presentations of original research from the following categories: late breaking clinical trials, clinical trial updates of previously presented LBCTs and late breaking basic science. A steering committee will make the final selection from the reviewers’ comments and decide whether to present material from one of the following additional categories: major bench-to-bedside advances, major conference proceedings and major guidelines/policy statements. The live webinars will be viewable from a computer or mobile phone.  The series will be archived for on-demand viewing.  A panel of moderators and discussants will spend more time than allows at November’s Scientific Sessions for discussion and questions. Attendees can ask questions electronically during or after the event. 

After completing these programs, participants will be able to:

1. Assess the quality of the clinical trials and data presented during the sessions, including endpoints, size of the trial, outcomes and adverse events
2. Discuss the potential effects of the data presented on clinical practice
3. Identify opportunities, if appropriate, for integrating the findings presented into clinical practice
4. Improve their adherence to cardiovascular and stroke-related guidelines

Continuing Medical Education Accreditation - Physicians
The American Heart Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.  The American Heart Association designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.  Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.  All faculty participating in CME/CE activities sponsored by The American Heart Association will disclose to the audience (1) significant financial relationships with the manufacturer(s) of products from the commercial supporter(s) and/or the manufacturer(s) of products or devices discussed in their presentation, and (2) unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices discussed in their presentation.  Such disclosures will be made in writing in course presentation materials.

Continuing Medical Education Accreditation – Physician Assistants
AAPA accepts Category I credit from AOACCME, Prescribed credit from AAFP, and AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME. 

Continuing Education Accreditation - Nurses
American Heart Association is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.  The maximum number of hours awarded for this CE activity is 1.00 contact hour.  Accredited status does not imply endorsement by the American Heart Association or the American Nurses Credentialing Center of any commercial products displayed in conjunction with an activity.

Continuing Education Accreditation – Pharmacists
The American Heart Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.  ACPE Credit:  1.00 Contact Hour or 0.100 CEUs.  Universal Program Number:  0256-0000-11-643-L01-P.   Successful completion of this CME activity includes the following:  (1) Register.  (2) Participate in course.  (3) Complete the activity evaluation survey and claim your CME/CE certificate online at learn.heart.org.  There is no fee for CME/CE credits for this activity. 

Overview
The AHA recognizes important scientific results do not always conveniently coincide with the timing of AHA Scientific Sessions in November. To address the needs of the clinical and basic science communities, the AHA has implemented a new presentation format to reflect the natural timing for release of new scientific information. The AHA Emerging Science Series will be coordinated by the Committee on Scientific Sessions Programs.

To accommodate the rapid emerging science, a compressed timeline of submission, review, and presentation will take place. The series will be composed of live webinar events that clinicians and researchers can view from their computer or mobile phone. The series will be archived for on-demand viewing. A panel of moderators and discussants will spend more time than allows at November’s Scientific Sessions for discussion and questions. Attendees can ask questions electronically before and after the live event.

Benefits of Submission

• Publication of the abstract in Circulation
• Guaranteed fast track review of manuscript in one of the AHA Journals (no guarantee of publication)
• If there are new data, the Emerging Science Series late-breaking clinical trials will have a guaranteed presentation time in a "Clinical Trial Update Session" at Scientific Sessions.
• Potential press conference and media coverage

Submission
The following submission categories have been created to accommodate emerging science:

• Late-Breaking Clinical Trials
• Clinical Trial Updates
• Late-Breaking Basic Science
• Major Bench to Bedside Breakthrough

Due to the fast-paced nature of this series, final data will need to be ready at the time of submission, to allow for adequate peer-review of the submission. Abstracts submitted are expected to contain study design and the major trial results.

Guidelines

• Presentations: The live event will take place the morning of April 25. Please note this date in your calendars now in the case of acceptance to the program. The presentation will take place at a studio location in Dallas, Texas. We highly recommend that if accepted for presentation to coordinate travel arrangements to arrive in Dallas by 6pm the night before the live event incase last minute preparation or rehearsals are needed. More details regarding the schedule for the April 25 live event will be emailed after notification of acceptance. Multiple presenters will not be allowed. This will be strictly enforced.
• New Conferences: Late-Breaking Science will be considered for news conferences or other news activities, where select principal investigators will discuss the results and answer questions with members of the media.
• AHA/ACC/ESC Acceptance/Embargos: Abstracts related to a clinical trial submitted for consideration for presentation at the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and European Society of Cardiology cannot be presented at the other two meetings. After acceptance by one of the organizations, that organization’s specific embargo guidelines prevail. An embargo means that results from the trial cannot be presented or announced in any forum prior to presentation at the meeting to which it has been accepted. Violators will be banned from participating in the clinical trials for two full cycles or for two of each organization’s meetings (AHA, ACC or ESC).below
• AHA Embargo Policies: Results are embargoed for the date and time of the presentation. Clinical trial sponsors must comply with embargo guidelines established by the American Heart Association. Failure to honor embargo policies will result in the trial being withdrawn on site and barred from presentation. Failure to honor this embargo policy may also jeopardize future acceptance of clinical trials and presentation at future AHA meetings. This embargo policy will be strictly enforced. Note Exception: Industry announcements required by the Security Exchange Commission are allowed and will not be considered an embargo break; however, no trial results or data may be revealed or implied.
• Investigator Meetings: The only exceptions to the above mentioned embargo policy is closed investigator meetings for participants in the trial. Graphics (slide or print) that contain key trial results should be kept to a minimum and not distributed. Media or other outside parties may not be invited to these events.

Simultaneous Journal Publication: Simultaneous publication is acceptable and encouraged as long as the embargo policies of the AHA and the involved journals are coordinated. If a clinical trial or study has been submitted to and accepted for publication, the presenter is responsible for insuring that the journal editor respects the AHA publication embargo policy. Publication of a trial or study, either in print or on a journal web site prior to presentation, will necessitate withdrawal of the trial from the program.