“The organizers need to be applauded for the inclusive approach taken toward medical services and Paralympic athletes, and the realization of the ‘Athlete with Disability Handbook’ in line with the thematic session,” Dr. Van de Vliet said.

A total of 420 attendees were in Vancouver, most of whom were sport medicine specialists who travel with national teams in winter sports. Presented by the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine (CASM), and taking place at the Westin Bayshore Hotel, the five-day programme included an afternoon devoted to Paralympic Winter sports and the common underlying medical conditions. Moderated by Doug Dittmer, Paralympic athletes were kept on the forefront, as much of the discussion was aimed at the people involved in Paralympic Winter Sport.

The conference also focussed on the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games preparations in the area of medical services and anti-doping, both from the Organizing Committee and the Team Physician’s perspective. Additionally, the programme included the value of sport injury survey to strengthen medical services and preventative mechanisms, medical liability, and emergency procedures and technology available at the events.

The IPC Medical & Scientific Director, Dr. Peter Van de Vliet, said that the organizers of the Sport Medicine Conference should be commended for the positive outcome through the diverse topics covered.

“The organizers need to be applauded for the inclusive approach taken toward medical services and Paralympic athletes, and the realization of the ‘Athlete with Disability Handbook’ in line with the thematic session,” Dr. Van de Vliet said.

Objectives of the conference were wide-ranging, including assisting in the preparation of quality athlete-centred care for the upcoming Games through multi-disciplinary education. Other objectives were to review current leading edge scientific and medical information, providing a forum for research presentations, and to have the opportunity to network and interact with the international community of Sport Medicine, Sport Science and Sport Management professionals in practical working groups.

For more information about the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine, please visit casm-acms.org.