Alan C. Finley, MD, FASE

The 28th Annual Scientific Sessions will be held in Baltimore, MD, on June 2-6. This year, the ASE has chosen to highlight the cycle of introducing new advances into clinical medicine: Investigation-Innovation-Incorporation. These three themes are integrated throughout the program and cover a broad range of topics related to cardiovascular ultrasound.

One of the most satisfying aspects of my career as a cardiac anesthesiologist has been involvement in the rapid evolution of care of structural heart disease. Without scientific investigation, these advancements would not have been possible. Stated in the most basic terms, scientific investigation is the process by which an investigator observes a problem in clinical care, develops a hypothesis concerning the observation, and then performs an experiment to test this hypothesis. Visiting the poster hall is the perfect demonstration of scientific investigation at work and provides an opportunity for interaction amongst presenters, faculty, and attendees. The networking and feedback provided in these interactions are invaluable to researchers. Accepted abstracts are published within the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography , a leading journal in the field of cardiovascular medicine. The top eight abstracts will be presented at the Investigate-Innovate-Incorporate symposium on Tuesday. In addition to the poster hall, the research track has been expanded this year to allow investigators to present the latest in cardiovascular advancement throughout the program.

ASE 2017 also provides an opportunity to celebrate and award those who have achieved success within scientific investigation. The 18 ^th Annual Feigenbaum Lecture will be given by Dr. Howard M. Leong-Poi, MD, FASE, on Monday afternoon as he discusses his research in contrast-enhanced ultrasound. The ASE Foundation will be hosting the 8 ^th Annual Awards Research Awards Gala on Saturday, June 3 ^rd , not only to recognize great achievements in the field of echocardiography, but also to serve as a major fundraising event for the ASE Foundation. All proceeds from this event support the advancement of the field of cardiovascular ultrasound. Tickets may be purchased for this event at ASEFoundation.org .

Innovation is defined as the development of a new idea, device, or method to solve current issues. One might say the first use of two-dimensional echocardiography was an invention, but the current use of three-dimensional echocardiography is an innovation. ASE 2017 is filled with opportunities to learn about innovations within the field of cardiovascular ultrasound. The exhibit hall will provide the largest echo-specific showing in the world to demonstrate the technological advancements available today. Recognizing the additional need for including innovation within the sessions, the first annual Echovation challenge was created in 2016 with the goal of encouraging new applications of current technology. ASE 2017 will be the second year of Echovation and has challenged participating teams to provide methods to streamline accurate diagnostics so a personalized treatment plan can be implemented. The Echovation challenge can be easily followed by finding the Echovation quick link on the ASE 2017 homepage ( http://asescientificsessions.org/ ), and the winners will be announced during the session on Sunday.

Arguably the most important of these three themes is Incorporation of scientific investigation and innovation into clinical practice. In modern medicine, there is an abundance of peer-reviewed publications and guideline papers available. However, major gaps exist between the science and the clinical care provided to patients. ASE 2017 is filled with educational opportunities to learn how to incorporate new developments in cardiovascular ultrasound into clinical practice. The perioperative track is filled with lectures about incorporating three-dimensional echocardiography into clinical practice. Multiple sessions are focused on discussing and reviewing the current ASE guidelines. Learning labs, boot camps, case-based sessions, and chalk talks all provide unique learning opportunities involving a wide range of topics. COPE members may find the expanding role of point-of-care ultrasonagraphy (POCUS) for critically ill patients of particular interest. ASE 2017 now has a new point-of-care track to explore this innovative use of ultrasound, and COPE members will learn new uses of ultrasound in perioperative setting outside of the traditional transesophageal echocardiography use.

Recognizing the need to continuously advocate for the field of echocardiography, ASE 2017 has added a Value Summit and a Hill Day to the program this year. The Value Summit will consist of two sessions that will focus on Preparing for Value and the High Value Echocardiography Lab. The US Healthcare system is evolving, and the aim of these sessions are to help participants learn how navigate this new environment. ASE 2017 will also take full advantage of the close proximity of this year’s meeting to the nation’s capital and is planning a Hill Day. The ASE advocacy team is putting together an opportunity to meet with elected officials to ensure the voice of cardiovascular ultrasound community is heard.

ASE 2017 will be a busy time with many opportunities to learn about the rapidly evolving field of echocardiography. Make sure to download the ASE Meetings App prior to arriving in Baltimore to help navigate the session and create a personalized event schedule. I hope to see you there. #ASE2017

Alan C. Finley MD, FASE, is a cardiac anesthesiologist and associate professor at the Medical University of South Carolina.