PHA International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) hosts a conference every two years for people with pulmonary hypertension (PH), caregivers, families and health care professionals.

PHA International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions takes place in even years, alternating with PHA’s PH Professional Network Symposium in odd years. The next PHA conference will take place August 15-18, 2024, at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis.

PHA conferences feature two education tracks: one for patients and caregivers and one for health care professionals. The conferences offer the latest information about PH research, treatment and disease-management, as well as networking events, support group meetings and celebrations. Health care professionals can earn continuing education credit for attending sessions and abstract presentations. General sessions bring together patients and health care professionals for inspirational and informative presentations of interest to the entire PH community.

PHA 2022 drew more than 1,000 people from around the world, particularly the Americas.

History

PHA’s first International Conference in June 1994 brought 200 people from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia to a resort near Atlanta. For many of the 68 attendees with PH, it was the first time meeting others with the same condition. Thirty-two health care professionals attended in addition to family members, friends and caregivers.

The conference aimed to provide patients with first-hand information from experts. People with PH interacted with health care professionals to help them understand PH from patients’ perspectives. The theme was “Hearts and Hands for the Future.”

The event also connected health care professionals and patients with others in similar circumstances or with similar interests.

Traditions

Many longstanding PHA conference traditions began in 1994, including the Journeys presentation and Research Room. In Journeys, three pairs of patients and health care professionals relate their PH journeys.

The first Research Room began after researchers looking for genetic ties to PH asked to draw blood and obtain family histories from patients at the 1994 conference. As the largest gathering of people with PH, PHA recognized the event’s potential to further ongoing research.

Participating researchers agreed to share blood samples and data with others conducting PH research. The research from that conference eventually led to the discovery of a gene for familial pulmonary arterial hypertension.