The publication rate of abstracts from the 4th Park City Pediatric Rheumatology meeting in peer-reviewed journals: what factors influenced publication?

OBJECTIVE: To measure the impact of a rheumatology scientific meeting by examining publication rates of the abstracts in peer-reviewed journals and to investigate factors that influenced publication.
METHODS: We examined the outcome of 257 abstracts submitted to the 1998 4th Park City Pediatric Rheumatology meeting, all of which were published in The Journal of Rheumatology (April 2000). A MEDLINE search of all abstracts, by authors, topics, and keywords was performed. A mail questionnaire regarding publication and factors influencing submission was sent to authors of abstracts not found in this search. Factors analyzed for influence on publication included author geography, disease studied, study topic, study design, positive or negative results, and the novelty of the study.
RESULTS: Ninety-two abstracts (36%) were published as of January 2002 in peer-reviewed journals, most frequently in The Journal of Rheumatology (32 abstracts). Factors with a positive influence on publication included abstracts from the Middle East, analytical studies, positive results, and novel studies. Factors negatively associated with publication include origin from South and Central America, studies of physical therapy, education and psychosocial issues, and studies with negative results. The main causes cited by authors for not submitting abstracts for publication included a lack of time or low priority to write a full paper, or a desire to further expand the study.
CONCLUSION: The 4th Park City meeting had an important clinical scientific impact measured by abstracts published in peer-reviewed journals. In future meetings, abstracts that will eventually be published are likely to have an analytical design, positive results, and a novel topic.