Research Awards Announced for ACOG 2017 Annual Meeting

San Diego, CA—The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is pleased to announce the 2017 Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting research award winners, who were selected from among more than 700 outstanding original research papers and posters to be presented at this year’s event.

“Today, ob-gyns face a varied and complex landscape across the spectrum of women’s health care. Ob-gyns must balance wide ranging attitudes about the best practices for women’s health care with rapid developments in knowledge and technology,” said Richard S. Hansell, M.D., the chair of ACOG’s Committee on Scientific Program. “We are proud to announce our award selections, which reflect the depth and breadth of topics ob-gyns address every day in practice. We are confident that the groundbreaking research we have selected for recognition, along with the hundreds of other excellent submissions we received, will inspire important discussions about how we can continue to improve obstetric and gynecologic care.”

“The theme of this year’s annual meeting, ‘Next Generation of Health Care,’ aims to help women’s health care experts prepare for the challenges that lie ahead. The research recognized by this year’s awards is foundational to achieving that progress,” said Thomas Gellhaus, M.D., president of ACOG. “The pioneering research done by ACOG fellows informs and empowers ob-gyns to help American women take control of their health.”

Abstracts will be published in a special May 2017 supplement to Obstetrics & Gynecology (the Green Journal) and will be publicly available for six months. The prizes, titles, abstract numbers, first authors, and brief overview are listed below. Learn more about the annual meeting and email [email protected] for embargoed copies of the abstracts.

Donald F. Richardson Prize Paper
Outpatient Opioid Use After Cesarean Section [20OP]
J.B. Emerson, M.D.
Women and Infants Hospital, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI
Does the amount of opioid medication women receive in the hospital following a C-section relate to their use of these drugs at home following discharge?

Donald F. Richardson Prize Paper
Detection of Fetal Fraction During Noninvasive Prenatal Screening in HIV Infected Pregnant Women [21OP]
Aleha Aziz, M.D., M.P.H.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine/ Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
Assesses whether the results of Noninvasive Prenatal Screening are reliable among women who are HIV-positive and/or taking antiretroviral medications.

First Prize
Genetic Testing Costs and Compliance with Clinical Best Practices [19OP]
Kathleen Ruzzo, M.D.
Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, CA
Determines whether one hospital follows clinical best practice guidelines for common genetic testing, and if making recommended testing changes could save on costs.

Second Prize
Long-term Consequences of Extended Endocrine Strategies for Premenopausal Breast Cancer [11OP]
Janice S. Kwon, M.D., M.P.H.
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Which breast cancer treatment for premenopausal women leads to a longer life expectancy and costs less: tamoxifen or ovarian ablation followed by aromatase inhibitor?

Third Prize
Readability of Online Patient Educational Materials Provided by Major Gynecological Societies [16OP]
Nneoma Nwachuku, M.D., M.P.H.
Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC
Determines whether online educational health content provided by major American gynecological societies is understandable for the average patient.

Blue Ribbon
Four-Year Efficacy and Safety of the Liletta® Levonorgestrel Intrauterine System [11A]
Michael Thomas, M.D.
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Is the intrauterine device (IUD) Liletta, which is currently approved as a contraceptive for up to three years, effective and safe for four years of use?

Blue Ribbon
Effect of Flibanserin on Sexual Functioning: An Analysis of Female Sexual Function Index Domains [24H]
Michael L. Krychman, M.D., M.P.H.
Southern California Center for Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine, Inc., Newport Beach, CA
Can Flibanserin improve desire and other sexual functions for premenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder?

Blue Ribbon
Evaluating Transfer of Certolizumab Pegol and Polyethylene Glycol into Breast Milk [28J]
John Thorp, M.D.
UNC Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC
Evaluates whether medication for chronic inflammatory disease can be transferred through breast milk and estimates how much is safe for babies.

To attend presentations of these and other posters representing the full range of research in women’s health, attend ACOG’s 2017 annual meeting in San Diego, May 6-9, 2017. To register, email [email protected].

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College), a 501(c)(3) organization, is the nation’s leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of more than 58,000 members, The College strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women’s health care. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a 501(c)(6) organization, is its companion organization. www.acog.org