Abstract to publication rates for papers presented to the SMFM: How does maternal fetal medicine compare?

Abstract

DOES MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE COMPARE? BRIAN BROST, SUNEET P. CHAUHAN, Mayo Clinic, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rochester, Minnesota, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Spartanburg, South Carolina OBJECTIVE: Full written publication of the methods, results and conclusions of research is paramount to the ability of practitioners to evaluate and consider application of the results to their patient populations. Other specialty and subspecialty society’s have reported an 11-78% publication rate. The aim of this study was to determine the full manuscript publication rate of oral abstracts presented to the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine annual meetings. STUDY DESIGN: Published abstracts presented orally at the annual Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine were obtained from 1998-2001. This would allow at least 4 years after presentation for manuscript preparation and submission. PubMed was searched independently by both investigators in the study by author name(s) and/or keywords in the abstract title. Lists of full publications were confirmed by the other investigator and a second search was performed of all studies where a full manuscript could not be found. RESULTS: Of the 288 oral presentations during these reviewed annual meetings, 208 (72.2%; range 64.5-77.6%) were presented in full manuscript form. These projects could be categorized as animal research-40, basic laboratory projects-52, clinical research-158, multicenter trials-28 and unable to classify-10. The rates of publication by project category were 70%, 82.7%, 71.5%, 78.6%, and 50% respectively. Interestingly, the author order/composition and title were changed significantly in 45.8% and 47.9% from publication of the abstract to the full manuscript. The most common site of publication was the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (41.0%) followed by Obstetrics and Gynecology (6.3%) and major general medical journals (JAMA, NEJM, and Lancet-4.2%). CONCLUSION: The Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine should be proud of the efforts of its researchers and the ability to publish the results of their scientific study. Efforts to shorten the time from presentation to publication by sections devoted to annual specialty meetings may further increase full review of orally presented SMFM publications.