In the last column, we wrote about the importance of outcomes data to the future of the specialty and the steps SIR and SIR Foundation have taken to cultivate and curate that data. The goals are to demonstrate the efficacy of our procedures and ultimately, to ensure our patients have access to the highest quality care possible—the care we provide every day in clinic.
An important part of that care is ensuring that IRs are trained to deliver the agreed-upon standard of care in clinical practice. Coming out of training, we are arguably the most highly trained medical specialists, but as we all know, professional development doesn’t stop there. To help all interventional radiologists maintain their knowledge and skills, SIR provides multiple educational opportunities that disseminate best evidence and best practice as they emerge.
As IR’s professional hub, SIR translates member needs, concerns and ideas directly into actions. One of the key pillars of SIR’s new strategic plan seeks to maintain the society’s status as the premier provider of IR education. Our volunteer leadership is committed to producing high-level educational content and opportunities. The SIR and SIR Foundation educational ecosystem adapts year after year to meet the needs of members by regularly reevaluating its offerings to reach learners wherever they are, in the format of their choice. Here are some of the newer offerings that SIR has developed since 2021:
- With over 17,500 users across 130 countries, SIR’s guidelines app is a key way of disseminating clinical information. Free to use, the guidelines app gives healthcare workers access to evidence-based recommendations at the point of care.
- The video repository SIR Now hosts over 200 hours of content from SIR annual meetings, recordings of webinars, SIR Shorts and more, covering a wide range of topics throughout the IR domain.
- The SIR Virtual Angio Club series started during the pandemic but has grown into a popular opportunity to bring IRs across the country together on a regular basis to share cases and practice questions.
- For those who have opted not to transition to the OLA, SIR continues to provide a wide range of CME opportunities as well, from webinars to opportunities built around Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (JVIR) content.
- The SIR Business Center and Business Institute development course offer resources for member practice management, from financial considerations to IR-centric business education.
- In 2024, as we begin celebrating 50 years of SIR, the society will launch SIR EDGE, Oct. 17–19 in Denver. This in-person event offers education and resources on the most compelling and sought-after clinical topics related to Y-90/TARE, PAD, MSK/pain and portal hypertension.
SIR’s most well-known opportunity is the Annual Scientific Meeting, which has brought IRs from across the globe together for almost 50 years to improve patient care through education, advocacy and thought leadership. SIR 2024 will feature over 40 scientific sessions with more than 400 oral presentations, 130 education sessions, and over 200 poster and educational exhibit presentations. The Annual Scientific Meeting combines emerging research and techniques, cutting-edge technologies, and endless networking opportunities. In addition to innovative therapies and devices, the Annual Scientific Meeting also offers continuing education that enables members to stay up to date in the core clinical specialty areas. Whether a member is looking for advanced education or guidance on starting a practice, SIR 2024 offers programming to meet those needs.
