The draw for CHEST 2023 isn’t just the outstanding educational and scientific programming—this year, the high-quality sessions will take place in the stunning setting of Hawaiʻi.

With more than 300 educational sessions in the CHEST 2023 program, attendees will have multiple ways to increase their knowledge and mastery of skills and concepts that directly translate to clinical practice. The program, which takes place October 8 to 11 in Honolulu, will cover the hottest topics in chest medicine with rapid-fire debates, panel discussions, simulations, games, and more.

Aneesa Das, MD, FCCP, Chair of the CHEST 2023 Scientific Program Committee, said the goal in planning this year’s meeting has been to address key clinical issues and controversies with a multidisciplinary approach.

“We want to hear from as many different voices as possible to provide a broader spectrum of experiences and perspectives,” Dr. Das said. “That means from different parts of the country, from different parts of the world, from different medical disciplines, and from different parts of the care team.”

Education sessions broach topics with the inclusion of not only pulmonary, critical care, and sleep physicians but also chest medicine providers across the spectrum, from thoracic surgeons and pathologists to radiologists, respiratory therapists, and nurse practitioners—a true multidisciplinary team.

Debates and television talk show-style sessions will involve multiple presenters and amplify those voices, she said. The popular Pardon the Disruption format will return with several lively panels, including a new one highlighting controversies in interventional pulmonology.

Among other hot topics and educational opportunities on deck for CHEST 2023:

• Whether to biopsy or not in interstitial lung disease
• Controversies in treatment and pathophysiology of central sleep apnea
• Master Classes with experienced faculty

Having the opportunity to meet and network with experts and peers in many different areas is one of the most valuable aspects of the meeting, said CHEST President, Doreen J. Addrizzo-Harris, MD, FCCP.

“We offer a program you cannot get anywhere else, particularly because of the ability to ask questions and interact with the faculty,” she said. “That is what makes this meeting really special.”

The number of abstracts submitted for CHEST 2023 was more than double the number submitted in previous years, and the level of science is phenomenal, Dr. Das said. There will be multiple ways to learn about the abstracts presented, including rapid-fire pods, where several abstracts on similar topics will be presented in the Exhibit Hall, as well as oral presentation sessions and posters.

The education CHEST is known for will integrate with the location to give attendees an immersive cultural experience. Some sessions and events will use outdoor spaces, and others will weave native Hawaiian traditions and wellness practices into the program. There will also be a CHEST After Hours live performance highlighting personal storytelling by chest physicians. Storytelling is an art rooted in Hawaiian culture that is also a valuable tool in medicine.

The Pacific Ocean location also lends itself to a more international group of attendees.

“We’re going to have voices and educators from other continents and countries, more so than we have had on the main continent, because of ease of access to the meeting,” said Dr. Das. “It’s going to be more international with the opportunity to connect with people from a larger variety of places.”