Educational Objectives

Upon completion of this meeting, participants should gain strategies to:

• Promote discussion of new scientific developments and best practices in spine care
• Demonstrate the application of current techniques, procedures and research
• Practice evidence-based medicine relative to spine care.

Target Audience

The NASS Annual Meeting is designed specifically for spine surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, neurologists, radiologists, anesthesiologists, researchers, and other spine care specialists. Emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach to education and care, this event promotes the sharing of experiences, introduces the latest advancements in spine treatment, and fosters collaborative networking. The meeting not only champions the enhancement of patient outcomes but also propels the evolution of the spine care field, extending its reach to both the national and international medical community.

Accreditation and credit designation statements

In-Person Credits by Day	Maximum
Wednesday	7
Thursday	4.5
Friday	7
Saturday	4
Total Credits	22.5

Credits for Physicians

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education developed by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). The North American Spine Society is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians and takes responsibility for the content, quality and scientific integrity of this CME activity.

The North American Spine Society designates this live activity for a maximum of 22.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The North American Spine Society designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 94.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Additional credit is available by attending the following courses:

• Coding Update 2023: Mastering the Coding Maze

Credits for Allied Health Professionals

• Physician Assistants: The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts Category 1 credit from AOACCME, prescribed credit from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and AMA PRA Category 1 CME Credit^TM for the Physician’s Recognition Award from organizations, such as NASS, accredited by the ACCME.
• Registered Nurses: Many state Boards of Registered Nursing accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM from organizations accredited by the ACCME. Attendees are responsible for confirming their specific board’s acceptance of the NASS Annual Meeting credits.
• Nurse Practitioners: The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM from organizations accredited by the ACCME.
• Chiropractors*: Please contact education@spine.org at least two months prior to the meeting to request that NASS apply for credit approval in your state.
• Physical Therapists*: Please contact education@spine.org at least two months prior to the meeting to request that NASS apply for credit approval in your state.

* Please note that NASS will assess each request individually, considering factors like time constraints and state requirements, which might affect application and approval.

Requirements vary for other allied health and advanced practice providers; please contact your licensing organization for their requirements.

Credits for International Attendees

The American Medical Association has determined that any physician not licensed in the U.S. (defined by the AMA as MDs, DOs, or international physicians with equivalent degrees from other countries) can be awarded AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. The requirements for awarding AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM to U.S. and non-U.S. licensed physicians are the same.

Through an agreement between the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Medical Association, physicians may convert AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM to Royal College MOC Section 1 credits for live face-to-face learning.

The American Medical Association has an agreement of mutual recognition of Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits with the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS), the accreditation body for European countries. Physicians interested in converting AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM to UEMS-European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education CME credits (ECMEC®s) should contact the UEMS at mutualrecognition@uems.eu.

In case your country does not belong to the ones benefiting from a formal recognition agreement with UEMS-EACCME, you are still encouraged to submit your CME Certificate to the national accreditation authority in your country as it may be accepted on a case by case basis.

Commercial Support Disclosure

On occasions where NASS accepts financial or in-kind support from ineligible companies, NASS attests that the support does not establish a financial relationship between the ineligible company and planners, faculty, and others in control of the education. NASS is responsible for ensuring that all educational activities remain independent of the ineligible company and that the support does not result in commercial bias or commercial influence in the education.

Financial support was provided for select activities. Appropriate acknowledgement of all supporting organizations is made to participants prior to the educational activity in the mobile app, on the event website and with signage during the meeting.

Disclosure of Financial Relationship Information

NASS asks individuals in control of content for this activity (planners, faculty, reviewers, authors, staff, others) to disclose all financial relationships with any ineligible companies that they have had over the past 24 months using the NASS online disclosure module at www.spine.org/disclosure.

Ineligible companies, previously known as commercial interests, are those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. There is no minimum financial threshold; participants must disclose all financial relationships, regardless of the amount, with these companies. NASS asks all participants to disclose regardless of whether they view the financial relationships as relevant to the education.

Since healthcare professionals serve as the trusted authorities when advising patients, they must protect their learning environment from industry influence to ensure they remain true to their ethical commitments. Many healthcare professionals have financial relationships with ineligible companies/commercial interests. By identifying and mitigating relevant financial relationships, we work together to create a protected space to learn, teach, and engage in scientific discourse free from influence from organizations that may have an incentive to insert commercial bias into education.

Relevant Financial Relationship Identification & Mitigation

After disclosure information is received and prior to implementation of the educational activity, NASS staff and peers review them to determine whether the relationships are relevant to the education. Please note that identification of relevant financial relationships does not necessarily mean that the individual is unable to participate in the planning and implementation of the education activity. Rather, the accreditation standards require that relevant financial relationships are mitigated before their roles are assumed in the activity.

View all faculty disclosures. Relevant financial relationships, or notice of the absence of, will be made available via QR code in each room hosting an educational activity. All relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.

Read the full NASS Disclosure Policy, FAQs and access universal disclosures by going to www.spine.org/Who-We-Are/Medical-Professionalism/Annual-Disclosure-Index.

Disclaimer

The material presented is made available by the North American Spine Society for educational purposes only. The material is not intended to represent the only, nor necessarily the best, method or procedure appropriate for the medical situations discussed; rather, it is intended to present an approach, view, statement or opinion of the faculty, which may be helpful to others who face similar situations. NASS disclaims any and all liability for injury or other damages to any individual attending the meeting and for all claims which may arise out of the use of the techniques demonstrated therein by such individuals, whether these claims shall be asserted by physicians or any other person.