Selecting venues for AMIA events and conferences: guiding ethical principles

Area of Science:

• Informatics
• Bioethics
• Professional Ethics

Background:

• A 2021 discussion on the AMIA listserv highlighted ethical concerns regarding a conference in Texas.
• Texas's restrictive abortion and voting laws prompted calls for a conference boycott by some members.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide general guidance for principle-based venue selection for AMIA events.
• To establish overarching principles for future AMIA conference and event venue choices.

Main Methods:

• The AMIA Ethics Committee developed recommendations.
• Discussions involved the AMIA Board, Ethics Committee, and Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) Working Group.

Main Results:

• The Ethics Committee formulated overarching principles for venue selection.
• These principles aim to guide future decisions on conference locations.

Conclusions:

• The AMIA Board of Directors approved the guiding principles in April 2022.
• The principles provide a framework for ethical venue selection in light of societal and legal contexts.