General Information
Continuum 2024
For the past 18 years, IAPAC has proudly served as the secretariat for the annual series of International Conferences on HIV Treatment and Prevention Adherence, otherwise known as Adherence. Over the past few years, and as our understanding of gaps across the HIV care continuum has been refined, the conference has undergone an evolution with an expanded scope reflecting a more holistic approach to addressing gaps across the entire HIV care continuum. This evolution led us to redefine the conference for its 19th iteration, including a name change to “Continuum 2024.”
The new name embodies our commitment to encompass the entire journey of people affected by HIV, from the critical initial step of testing, through linkage to care, active engagement in prevention and treatment services, adherence to prevention and treatment regimens, and re-engagement for those who are lost to follow-up. By choosing “Continuum” as our conference title, we aim to emphasize the importance of viewing HIV care as a journey where every step along the way holds immense significance, while continuing to highlight innovations to optimize HIV treatment and prevention adherence.
Continuum 2024 aims to continue the conference tradition of serving as a platform that unites providers, researchers, policymakers, and advocates to share insights, best practices, and innovative approaches that contribute to an optimized continuum of HIV care. Through this collective effort, we aspire to drive positive change and ultimately progress towards a world where HIV care is seamlessly accessible, efficient, and inclusive, ensuring a better quality of life for all affected communities.
CONFERENCE INFORMATION
The Continuum 2024 conference will take place June 9-11, 2024, at El Conquistador in Puerto Rico. Hosted by the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), this annual series of conferences features the presentation and discussion of HIV treatment and biomedical prevention adherence research, and current behavioral and clinical perspectives in practicum, within the context of optimizing the continuum of HIV care and prevention.
Under the theme of Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps, the conference will feature a Keynote Address, Memorial Lecture, Memorial Colloquium, five thematic sessions, oral abstracts sessions, and an e-poster abstracts session.
Co-chaired by Kenneth K. Ngure (Jomo Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya) and Carmen Zorrilla (University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR), the conference will focus on innovations to optimize the continuum of HIV care, leveraging implementation science to bridge HIV continuum gaps, promoting community-led HIV research and programming, and addressing social determinants of health. Through these focus areas the conference aims to:
- Focus on strategies and interventions to enhance the entire HIV care continuum
- Explore advances, strategies, and best practices in delivering combination HIV prevention
- Address real-world integration of evidence-based practices through implementation science
- Propose strategies to translate research findings into scalable interventions for impact
- Highlight community-led approaches and initiatives to shape effective HIV responses
- Discuss interventions, policies, and strategies to address social determinants of health
A downloadable PDF version of the Continuum 2024 conference program may be viewed here.
OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this activity, learners will be able to:
- Employ strategies to improve antiretroviral therapy and pre-exposure prophylaxis outcomes
- Utilize implementation science to identify high impact and scalable HIV interventions
- Facilitate community engagement in clinical care to support optimal HIV service delivery
- Address social determinants of health to enhance HIV responses and outcomes
TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience for the Continuum 2024 conference includes physicians, nurses and nurse-practitioners, pharmacists, psychologists, behavioral scientists, social scientists, public health specialists, epidemiologists, social workers, case managers, peer educators and navigators, and community health workers working in the field of HIV medicine. Because the conference outcomes are intended to influence public policy around global, national, and municipal HIV responses, the conference may also be of interest to policymakers and individuals who wish to advocate as well as enact and implement evidence-informed HIV policies and interventions in their respective communities and countries.
ACCREDITATION
Continuum 2024 is pending accreditation for physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, and pharmacists.
REGISTRATION
Following are key dates for early and standard conference registration, as well as registration rates:
| Deadline | Dec. 1, 2023 | Feb. 29, 2024 | April 26, 2024 | N/A |
| Registration Type | Early | Standard | Late/Onsite | |
| Member (must be current) | $275 | $325 | $375 | |
| Non-Member | $300 | $350 | $400 | |
| Student or Retired | $200 | $225 | $275 | |
| One-Day Only | $150 | $200 | $250 |
NOTE: Registration fee payments must be received on or prior to the deadline for a specific registration type (Early-Bird, Early, or Standard). If payment of a registration fee is not received by the stated deadline, the next higher category of registration fee will be applied/required to attend the conference. Prompt payment of registration fees based on the deadline schedule is encouraged.
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION
Following are key dates for abstract submission (with additional information and guidance available by clicking the Abstracts tab on this webpage):
Abstract Submission/Disposition
- Abstract Submission Portal Open – Dec. 1, 2023
- Abstract Submission Deadline – Feb. 16, 2024
- Late-Breaker Abstract Submissions – March 25-29, 2024
- Abstract Disposition Announcements – March 22, 2024
- Late-Breaker Disposition Announcements – April 12, 2024
- Deadline to Withdraw Abstract/Change Presenting Author – May 3, 2024
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
IAPAC has negotiated a discounted room block for conference attendees. Accommodations are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Book your room today to ensure you secure accommodations at the official conference hotel.
Select the “Venue” tab above to access the room reservation link.
EXHIBITOR AND SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION
The Continuum 2024 conference provides an opportunity to interact with more than 400 delegates, in-person, from a variety of practice settings and experiences, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, social workers, community health workers, and patient advocates. There are a limited number of sponsorship opportunities available for this conference.
View the Continuum 2024 Sponsorship Prospectus here.
Please contact IAPAC’s Senior Director of Education, Jonathon Hess, at jhess@iapac.org if your organization has an interest in hosting a satellite symposium or with any sponsorship-related queries.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Continuum 2024 conference is made possible through educational grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual registration and exhibitor fees. Educational and corporate sponsors will be displayed as grants and sponsorships are approved.
Schedule
Sunday, June 9, 2024
| Time | Session | Room |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | PRE-CONFERENCE SESSIONS | |
| 1:00 PM – 1:15 PM | WELCOME REMARKS | GENERAL SESSION |
| Welcome to Continuum 2024
Kenneth K. Ngure (Jomo Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya) Carmen Zorrilla (University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR) José M. Zuniga (IAPAC, Tampa, FL, USA) | ||
| 1:15 PM – 1:45 PM | KEYNOTE ADDRESS | GENERAL SESSION |
| 1:50 PM – 3:05 PM | HIV CARE CONTINUUM
Moderator: Julie Levison (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA) | GENERAL SESSION |
| 3:10 PM – 4:25 PM | IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE
Moderator: Stefan Baral (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA) | GENERAL SESSION |
| 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM | THREE TOP-RATED ABSTRACTS | GENERAL SESSION |
| 5:30 PM | ADJOURN |
Register
Venue and Accommodations
The Continuum 2024 conference venue will be El Conquistador, which is located at 1000 Avenida El Conquistador, Fajardo, 00738, Puerto Rico. IAPAC has negotiated a discounted group rate for conference attendees available on a first-come, first-served basis. Rooms are available from June 8, 2024 through June 12, 2024 at a room rate of $226 + $35 resort fee per night + 9% room tax.
NOTE: The conference is taking place in the city of Fajardo, not San Juan. Fajardo is a 35- to 40-minute commute from the San Juan International Airport (SJU). Shuttle service and other travel options to-from SJU as well as downtown San Juan will be announced shortly.
Submit an Abstract
The abstracts submission portal will open on December 1, 2023.
The Continuum 2024 conference will feature oral abstract and e-poster sessions. Below is abstract submission guidance to inform domain selection, abstract authorship, and online submission.
KEY DATES
Following are key dates relevant to abstract submissions:
- Abstract Submission Deadline – Feb. 16, 2024
- Late-Breaker Abstract Submissions – March 25-29, 2024
- Abstract Disposition Announcements – March 22, 2024
- Late-Breaker Disposition Announcements – April 12, 2024
- Deadline to Withdraw Abstract/Change Presenting Author – May 3, 2023
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Abstract submissions are encouraged in a wide variety of specific domains, including:
- ART initiation/adherence
- Behavioral dynamics
- Biomedical prevention
- Community engagement
- Community research
- Cultural competence
- Digital health/analytics
- Engagement, re-engagement
- Harm/risk reduction
- Health equity in HIV care
- Health policy/financing
- Health-related QoL
- Implementation science
- Legal/ethical dimensions
- Peer support/navigation
- PrEP initiation/persistence
- Prevention continuum
- Psychosocial support
- Social determinants of health
Within these areas we encourage coverage of:
- Advances in basic science
- Longitudinal or observational data
- Innovations in modeling and biopsychosocial theory
- Intervention development, implementation, and/or outcomes
- Dissemination/implementation of evidence-based approaches
- Operations research, demonstration projects, and practice-based approaches
- Resource, structural, and service delivery issues and innovations
- Implementation science design, evidence, and real-world applicability
Particularly as applied to key and disproportionately affected populations and settings:
- Treatment naïve, treatment experienced
- Individuals living with mental and/or physical health challenges
- Concomitant diseases (e.g., HBV, HCV, TB)
- Comorbid conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension)
- Syndemic conditions (e.g., mental health, substance use)
- Resource-constrained settings and geographies
- Key and vulnerable populations:
- Men who have sex with men (MSM)
- Transgender individuals
- Gender non-conforming
- Women in high HIV incidence areas
- Female and male sex workers
- Pregnant women
- Children and adolescents
- Substance users
- Incarcerated or recently released individuals
- Homeless and/or marginally housed individual
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION
Abstracts must be submitted online by 5 pm ET, Feb. 16, 2024. Submitted abstracts will be considered for oral or e-poster presentation. Submitted abstracts should report information not previously published, or intended to be published, prior to May 3, 2024.
It is the responsibility of the presenting author to ensure accuracy of content, spelling, and presentation. Abstracts will be published as submitted, subject to reformatting that may be required by IAPAC.
ABSTRACT FORMAT
Abstract contents will be either research-based data using established scientific methods or demonstrate experience and information from individuals or institutions working in the field. Please follow one of two structured formats (A or B), indicating in bold the four parts of your abstract:
Format A: Data-Driven Abstracts
- Background: a concise statement of the issues evaluated
- Methods: the investigational model used
- Results: specific findings
- Conclusions: summary of findings, supported by results
Format B: Program Descriptions and Case Studies
- Introduction: a concise statement of the issues addressed
- Description: a description of the project, case study, experience, or intervention
- Lessons Learned: project results, implementation issues, and/or case study solutions
- Recommendations: further recommendations or next steps
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Following are some general guidelines for individuals interested in submitting an abstract(s):
- The abstract must NOT contain more than 300 words.
- Acceptable abstracts shall contain a concise statement of the research, define the precise subject of the presentation, and be related to the main theme or a sub-theme of the conference.
- Literature references and acknowledgements should not form any part of the abstract’s content.
- Figures and tables are acceptable, subject to high definition/quality guidance to be provided.
- The author is responsible for grammatical and factual details and may edit an abstract after it has been submitted up to May 3, 2024.
- All abstracts must be submitted in English (without exception).
- Sub-specialty jargon should be avoided, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the conference.
- Define all abbreviations and concepts in your abstract at first use.
- For therapeutic agents, only generic names may be used (trade names are not permitted).
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION AND ACCEPTANCE
All abstracts must be submitted online no later than 5:00 pm ET, February 16, 2024. Submissions will be acknowledged upon successful submission via the site. Faxed or mailed abstracts will not be considered.
Please record your abstract number. The number assigned to your abstract when it is submitted online will be the abstract number referenced throughout the conference, including in the Program and Abstracts book, during the Oral Abstract sessions, and during the e-Poster Session. A notice of acceptance or rejection will be sent via e-mail no later than March 22, 2024. A notice of acceptance or rejection for late-breaker submissions will be sent via e-mail no later than April 12, 2024. The disposition of each abstract will be sent via e-mail only to the submitting author identified on the submission form for that abstract. That contact will be responsible for sharing the disposition with all other authors of the abstract (including the presenting author).
Accepted abstracts will be in one of two categories:
- Oral Abstract presentation
- e-Poster Abstract presentation
Presenting authors agree to register for and attend the conference as scheduled in either Oral Abstract sessions or the e-Poster Session. Oral abstract and e-poster presenters are responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses, as well as the applicable registration fees.
Note that only the abstracts of paid conference registrants will be included in the final Abstracts Book. Accepted abstracts will be published in the conference proceedings. Abstracts are considered official communication to IAPAC. Submission of an abstract implies permission to publish abstracts (including in the Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care [JIAPAC]) and online posting, if accepted. E-posters files must be transferred to IAPAC by June 2, 2023.
To reiterate, all abstract submissions must be received online by 5:00 pm ET, February 16, 2024. It is strongly recommended that you do not wait until the last minute to submit your abstract(s). You may review/edit submissions from now until 5:00 pm ET, May 3, 2024. Abstracts may be withdrawn, or the presenter may be changed, until May 3, 2024.
Login or Register to submit an abstract
FAQ
When and where will Continuum 2024 take place?
The Continuum 2024 conference will take place June 9-11, 2024, at El Conquistador in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Click here to access the conference program.
What is included in my conference registration?
Standard registration includes 3-day access to the conference. One day registration includes 1-day access to the conference. Additionally, you will qualify to receive CME or CE credits for the sessions you attend. Click here to register online.
When am I required to pay my conference registration?
Registration fees payments must be received on or prior to the deadline for a specific registration type (Early-Bird, Early, or Standard). If payment of a registration fee is not received by the stated deadline, the next higher category of registration fee will be applied/required to attend the conference. Prompt payment of registration fees based on the deadline schedule is encouraged.
How do I download a copy of my registration receipt?
Click here to login into your IAPAC account online. Once logged in, select “Dashboard,” then scroll to “Registrations” where you will find your conference registration if you have registered for the conference.
Where can I find the conference program?
A downloadable PDF version of the conference program is available under the “General Information” tab under the section “Conference Information”. The schedule may also be viewed by clicking the “Schedule” tab.
Is the conference accredited for CME or CE credits?
The conference will be accredited for CME and CE credits. More information about accreditation will be available shortly.
Where can I find information about abstract submissions?
To learn more about online abstract submissions, including domains and general submission guidance, please click here to visit the abstracts submission portal. Note that the abstract submission deadline is February 16, 2024.
How do I edit an abstract I submitted?
Abstracts may be edited until the deadline outlined under the “Abstracts” tab. To access your abstract, you will need to login to your IAPAC dashboard, scroll down to “Abstract Submissions”, and select the pencil icon next to the abstract you would like to edit. When communicating with staff about your abstract, please reference your abstract ID which will begin with “CTM”. If there are abstracts under “Abstract Submissions” that you do not intend to submit for review, please delete them by selecting the garbage bin icon next to the respective abstract.
Are there discounted hotel accommodations for conference attendees?
The conference organizers have negotiated a discounted group room rate with the venue hotel, El Conquistador, which is located in the city of Fajardo, a 35- to 40-minute commute from the San Juan International Airport (SJU). Shuttle service and other travel options to-from SJU as well as downtown San Juan will be announced shortly. Click here to reserve your accommodations at the venue hotel. We encourage early booking.
Are there conference scholarship opportunities for travel and accommodations?
Due to budget constraints, scholarships for travel and accommodations are not available at this time.
I am applying for my travel visa. Where can I request a letter of invitation to support my application?
Click on the following link to request your official letter of invitation for visa purposes. Continuum 2024 Invitation Letter Request Form.
Is there a conference app?
Yes, there will be a conference app. A QR code for the conference app will be emailed to registered delegates in June 2024.
Are there any hosted symposia or sponsorship opportunities?
There are a limited number of exhibitor spaces and sponsorship opportunities available for this conference. If you are interested, contact IAPAC Senior Director of Education Jonathon Hess at jhess@iapac.org to request a sponsorship prospectus.
I still have questions. Whom can I contact?
For registration and general conference queries: events@ftcinstitute.org
For hosted symposia and sponsorship opportunities: jhess@iapac.org
For abstract-related queries: cmoore@iapac.org
Please direct any questions about accessing the venue and accommodations directly to El Conquistador and reference the IAPAC conference: +1 787-863-1000
