Financial barriers to attending international cardiology conferences: 2022–24 analysis of registration fees

Abstract

Cardiology conferences represent a major avenue for learning, career advancement, and professional networking. Yet, costs of attending these conferences represent a major barrier, particularly for trainees and participants from low-middle-income countries (LMICs). Our study aimed to analyze the registration fees of major cardiology conferences worldwide. We included conferences organized by international cardiovascular societies and those representing global regions. We did not include individual national or institutional conferences due to inability to systematically identify them. We collected 2024 registration fees from official conference websites, taking 2023 or 2022 fees if unavailable, and categorized them according to career stage and society membership status. Where specified, we chose 'early-bird' fees. All fees were converted to US dollars according to currency exchange rates per the International Monetary Fund on December 4, 2023, or if unavailable, per the last reported US Treasury Data. Other data collected included host country, virtual option availability, and LMIC discounts. 30 (65.2 %) conferences provided discounts for medical students, regardless of membership status, while 1 (2.2 %) provided discounts only for student-members. 36 (78.2 %) conferences offered discounts for residents/fellows, while 2 (4.3 %) offered discounts only for resident/fellow-members. Median fees for students and residents/fellows with membership were $255 and $287 (in US dollars), respectively while median fees for non-members were $303.5 and $397, respectively. 31 (67.4 %) conferences provided discounts for staff- members. Median fees for staff were $701 and $800 for members and non-members, respectively. Only 12 (26.1 %) conferences mentioned a virtual component, with 11 offering discounted registration compared with in-person rates. 7 (15.2 %) conferences had special in-person fees for LMIC-based registrants. 5 offered the same discounted rate regardless of training stage, while 2 offered additional discounts for trainees. We found that conference registration costs were substantial, including for trainees, with only a minority of conferences providing discounted rates for LMICs. Professional societies must reduce registration costs, potentially by implementing a tiered system based on training stage and country of origin. Further, to augment LMIC participation, dedicated scholarships and mentorship programs for LMIC-based registrants are needed.