Advancing opportunity and representation in the American Venous Forum

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Medical Education
• Health Equity

Background:

• Vascular surgery is a male-dominated field with underrepresentation of women in leadership positions.
• Disparities in representation exist across different vascular surgery societies.
• Assessing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in professional societies is crucial for equitable patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To update the representation of women in leadership and committee roles within the American Venous Forum (AVF).
• To evaluate the incorporation of DEI topics in scientific presentations at AVF annual meetings.
• To identify trends in DEI representation from 2010 to 2023.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of AVF scientific meeting programs and abstracts (2010-2023).
• Data divided into pre-2019 and post-2019 periods, coinciding with the Society for Vascular Surgery's DEI Task Force establishment.
• Comparison of women's participation and DEI domain inclusion using two-sample unpaired t-tests.

Main Results:

• Women's representation in AVF roles (moderators, presenters, authors, committee members/chairs, officers) increased from 2010-2019 to 2020-2023.
• The most significant increase was observed in moderators (+17.6%), while presenters showed the smallest increase (+7.8%).
• DEI domains in research presentations increased numerically but were only statistically significant for age (P = .0008).

Conclusions:

• Positive advancements in female leadership representation within the AVF have been noted.
• Progress in integrating DEI domains into AVF annual meetings remains slow.
• AVF leaders should prioritize strategies to embed DEI principles into meetings and organizational efforts, aligning with core values.