The Science & Quality Council and the Quality Improvement (QI) and Patient Safety Committee have hosted a series of QI Summits over the past decade. These unique, high-impact, multidisciplinary summits convene experts from within our urology community with colleagues from related fields to move the field forward on important and timely areas of urology care. Spanning topics including palliative care, opioid stewardship, imaging stewardship, shared decision-making, and infection prevention, the summits have provided a wealth of resources and toolkits to support members’ efforts to improve their practice, available on the AUA website at auanet.org/QISummit.

Against this backdrop, we are excited to announce AUA’s 2023 QI Summit: Tackling Telehealth: Improving Quality and Access by Integrating Virtual Care in Urology. The QI Summit will be held at AUA Headquarters in Linthicum, Maryland on Saturday, December 2, 2023. The summit, co-chaired by Dr Kara Watts and Dr Jennifer Robles, will provide a timely and important opportunity for clinicians, researchers, policy experts, and other stakeholders to convene around the mutual goal of improving urological telehealth adoption, access to care, and care quality.

Increasing telehealth adoption provides several critical benefits for both patients and providers. However, although most urologists have done at least 1 telehealth visit, far fewer have effectively integrated it into their regular practice. There remain multiple policy, technological, cultural, and systemic barriers to the successful implementation of telehealth into urological practice. The summit aims to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with the integration of virtual care in urology and identify best practices to ensure its successful implementation.

The summit will feature a diverse and multidisciplinary group of subject matter experts in telehealth who will offer their unique perspectives and expertise on the integration and optimization of telehealth in routine urological practice. By bringing together a diverse group of participants, the summit will foster collaboration and knowledge exchange, ultimately enhancing the quality and effectiveness of telehealth in urology. We anticipate that this meeting will provide participants with actionable information to improve patient care and increase access to care.

The summit will offer CME-accredited interactive content, including sessions on:

• Telehealth Policy: History and Current Controversies
• AUA Telehealth Policy Advocacy
• Medicolegal Lessons
• Innovative Telehealth Practices Beyond Urology
• Telehealth & Expanding Access to Rural Urologic Care
• Effectively Incorporating Telehealth Into Your Practice

Recognizing the importance of educating and engaging trainees in critical issues related to telehealth, the AUA will provide a travel stipend for up to 20 residents and fellows to help defray the costs of attendance. Visit the website below for additional information. The summit will be held at AUA Headquarters, in close proximity to Baltimore-Washington International Airport. AUA members planning to attend the Society of Urologic Oncology Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, through December 1, 2023, might extend their stay in the Baltimore/Washington area to join the summit the day following.

Join us at the AUA’s 2023 QI Summit and be part of this transformative movement in urology. To register for the QI Summit or obtain more information about the event, please visit auanet.org/QISummit.