Finish What's Started: American Urogynecologic Society Pelvic Floor Disorder Week Abstract Publishing Rates

Little is known regarding the publication rate of abstracts presented at the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS) Pelvic Floor Disorder Week (PFD).

Our aims were to determine contemporary publication rates of AUGS PFD oral and poster presentation abstracts and factors associated with publication.

In this retrospective study, we reviewed short and long oral and poster abstracts from 2019 and 2020 AUGS PFD. Article publication rates were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed with Kruskal-Wallis and χ 2 tests. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with likelihood of publication.

We identified 831 abstracts from the 2019 and 2020 PFD. Publication rates were 23.5%, 45.4%, and 53.3% at 1, 2, and 3 years (55.1% overall) with median time to publication of 16 months. For published abstracts, median journal impact factor was 2 with median principal investigator H-index of 15. Long and short podium presentations were 4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2-7.6) and 1.8 times (CI, 1.2-2.5), respectively, as likely to be published than poster presentations (both P  < 0.01). Resident/fellow (odds ratio [OR] 1.7, [95% CI, 1.2-2.4], P  < 0.01) and female first-authorship (OR 1.4, [95% CI, 1.0-2.0], P  = 0.04) and randomized control trials (OR 2.33, [95% CI, 1.2-4.7], P  = 0.02) were predictive of publication.

Nearly half the abstracts from AUGS PFD 2019 and 2020 are unpublished. Abstracts with oral presentations, female and trainee first authors, and randomized control trials were more likely to be published. Ultimately, timely publication is critical for ensuring reliability of evidence.