Paediatric and perinatal health abstracts at SHPA national conferences: Trends in presentation and subsequent publication

Background: Publication of research and practice experiences is an essential component in disseminating findings to the wider community and advancing pharmacy practice.
Aim: To assess trends in the presentation and subsequent publication of abstracts in the specialty areas of paediatrics and perinatal health (i.e. obstetrics and neonatology) at the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) National Conference from 2007 to 2012.
Method: Relevant accepted oral and poster presentations were identified from conference handbooks from 2007 to 2012. Data were extracted on the type of presentation, the type of abstract (case presentation, clinical audit, description of pharmacy practice, experimental or observational study), state of origin, number of authors and specialty area. The publication status of the abstracts was determined by searching Embase, Medline and Informit using author names and key words identified from the abstract title.
Results: From 2007 to 2012, 1617 abstracts were presented at SHPA National Conferences. Of these, 65 (4%) and 45 (3%) were in the areas of paediatrics and perinatal health, respectively. Excluding those presented in 2012, only 10 (10%) abstracts were subsequently published. Of the 30 oral presentations, five (17%) were published, whereas only five (8%) of the 66 poster abstracts were published. Over time, the types of abstracts submitted have remained consistent; however, publication rates differ according to the type of abstract (0% for case presentations, 0% for descriptions of pharmacy practice, 3% for clinical audits and 50% for experimental or observational studies).
Conclusion: Abstracts with a paediatric and perinatal health focus represent a small number of presentations at SHPA National Conferences (10%), with few going on to be published (1 in 10). Given the importance of disseminating clinical and research findings for the advancement of specialty pharmacy practice across otherwise potentially isolated settings, future research should investigate key barriers and potential facilitators to address the low publication rate identified.