Call for Reviewers at HIMSS Annual Conference

HIMSS18 Call For Reviewers

HIMSS18 Call for Reviewers is now closed.

What is a Call for Reviewers?

HIMSS members may review and recommend proposals that have been submitted for the HIMSS Annual Conference within their areas of expertise.  The peer review process used by HIMSS enhances the efficiency and maximizes the quality of the education offerings to our conference attendees. HIMSS Annual Conference Reviewers are the backbone of the entire HIMSS Annual Conference education process. HIMSS engages over 200 volunteer subject matter experts to review proposals. All HIMSS members are welcomed and encouraged to volunteer as a reviewer.

To ensure a fair assessment, every single proposal is evaluated by a minimum of three volunteer reviewers.  Led by ACEC members, review teams meet throughout the summer months to evaluate proposals.   Proposals are evaluated based upon several criteria, and an observer from the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) ensures that our process and selections exceed the standards required for continuing medical and nursing education credits.

As a result of this thorough evaluation process, the ACEC selects initial proposals and to ensure the optimal timeliness and relevance of the subject, speakers are notified of the ACEC's decision in early Fall. Those selected are provided with nearly three months to submit a first-draft presentation. At the end of the calendar year, ACEC and Peer Reviewers review the drafts to make sure that the most up-to-date and relevant information is included in each presentation.

One month prior to Annual Conference, final presentations are due to HIMSS. PIM also performs its final assessment at this juncture, assigning CME and/or CNE credits, as appropriate. Within this ever changing dynamic industry of health IT and management systems, this process presents the best practice on ensuring optimal, world-class education sessions.

Reviewer Requirements

• Reviewer must be a HIMSS member
• Reviewer must submit a completed reviewer application and a current curriculum  vitae or resume
• To comply with the recently amended rules and regulations of our continuing education (CME) provider, preference in the choice of reviewers will be given to those who represent organizations with non-commercial interests.
• There is a limit of five reviewers per organization that will be accepted. Reviewers will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis, if qualified and if reviewers are needed in covering certain content areas.

All candidates are evaluated by the Annual Conference Education Committee (ACEC) and notified of their decision after their review of the completed application materials received.  Upon acceptance, an individual will be considered a conference peer reviewer.

Reviewer Benefits

• Be first to read the education proposals submitted through the HIMSS Call for Proposals
• Earn points toward senior/fellow advancement and CPHIMS/CAHIMS certification
• Mentor speakers through the presentation preparation process
• Earn $100 discount towards your HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition registration fee

Reviewer Responsibilities

Review and score proposals:
Reviewers will review submitted annual conference proposals via the HIMSS website. A reviewer may expect to review and evaluate/score an average of 10-20 proposals in a given topic area. Proposals include the speaker information and subject matter content.

Recommend Proposals for the Annual Conference:
After reading and evaluating proposals, reviewers will work with their Annual Conference Education Committee topic category liaison in recommending proposals to move forward to the Annual Conference.

Work Directly with Accepted Speakers:
Reviewers will work one-to-one with one or two different speakers by guiding them through the presentation process. This process begins after the proposal selection process. The reviewer will be matched with a presentation that falls within their area of expertise and is responsible for assisting the speaker in developing their presentation materials. Reviewers will act as "sounding boards" for the speaker and provide constructive feedback on the speaker's presentation material.

Act as Session Ambassadors:
Those reviewers who do work directly with an accepted speaker will be given the first opportunity to act as the session ambassador at the Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition.  A session ambassador meets the speaker onsite, assists the speaker in the education session room, and completes an online session evaluation.

If you have any questions regarding involvement in this process, please feel free to email your questions to Deb Clough, Manager of Annual Conference Education, at dclough@himss.org.

Reviewer's Time Commitment / Timeline