Health & Safety

To support the safety of our in-person meeting attendees, PCORI will work in conjunction with the JW Marriott to develop and implement a range of safety measures and protocols.

We will continue to closely monitor the situation with COVID-19 (coronavirus) and variants with your safety being a top priority. PCORI will abide by and follow all applicable CDC guidelines, as well as applicable state, local and federal regulations. Protocols are subject to change to support the safety of our in-person meeting attendees. We will continue to update this page, so please check back for news and additional guidance

There is an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 while traveling to and participating in the PCORI Annual Meeting. By attending any portion of the in-person PCORI Annual Meeting, attendees acknowledge that they voluntarily and knowingly assume all risks associated. By registering to attend any portion of the in-person 2023 PCORI Annual Meeting, attendees acknowledge and consent to comply with the PCORI COVID-19 safety policies.

PCORI COVID-19 Safety Policies

General Precautions

As part of daily practice before and at the event:

• Self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and other illnesses. If you feel ill for any reason, please plan to attend the event virtually.
• Practice good hand and respiratory hygiene, which are essential to preventing transmission of germs (SARS-CoV-2, flu, viral gastroenteritis, etc.).
• Practice adherence to the precautions identified for the meeting or event, regardless of who you are with or the particular location or activity. Be aware of the tendency to relax protocols around friends and colleagues, especially in social areas.
• Be respectful of others’ comfort levels. They may be adhering to precautions that are stricter than those required due to their risk assessment (e.g., if they or a household member are at higher risk for severe COVID-19).

Code of Conduct

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PCORI is committed to providing a professional, safe, productive, and welcoming meeting experience that enables all attendees to engage fully.

PCORI will not tolerate harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form. Inappropriate language and imagery will not be accepted in any of the in-person or virtual event spaces, including but not limited to the booth hall, poster hall, networking lounge, chat rooms, and social media.

In response to any incident of unacceptable behavior, PCORI reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including deleting posts, the immediate removal from the meeting or restrictions from future PCORI meetings and events.

Vaccination

All in-person attendees must have completed a COVID-19 primary series vaccination and the appropriate boosters, as recommended by the CDC*, and wear a high-quality face mask while inside the event space, except while eating and drinking.

*An individual is considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 two weeks after completing primary vaccination with a COVID-19 vaccine, with, if applicable, at least the minimum recommended interval between doses. For example, this includes two weeks after a second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. PCORI strongly encourages all to adhere to CDC recommendations regarding vaccine boosters.

Individuals attending the Annual Meeting in-person will be required to attest that they have completed primary series vaccination . Attendees may seek a reasonable accommodation to this policy by submitting a request for Reasonable Accommodation.

We ask that you email requests for reasonable accommodations to the vaccination requirement to ([email protected]) by October 3, 2023.

Testing

All in-person attendees are strongly encouraged to take a COVID-19 test prior to traveling to the 2023 PCORI Annual Meeting and will be required to attest to having taken a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of the event start date. PCORI will provide rapid antigen COVID-19 testing to all in-person attendees upon arrival and throughout the event. In-person attendees are encouraged to test regularly throughout the event, particularly if they feel ill for any reason.

Masking

All in-person meeting attendees are required to wear high-quality face coverings while inside the JW Marriott regardless of the current mask mandates implemented by the city of Washington, DC, except while eating and drinking. A face covering will be considered high-quality if it meets the following criteria:  

• Completely covers the nose and mouth;
• Is either an N-95, KN-95 or KF-94;
• Is secured to the head with ties, ear loops, or elastic bands;
• Fits snugly over the nose, mouth, and chin without gaps on the outside of the face;
• Is a solid piece of material without slits, exhalation valves, visible holes, punctures, or other openings.

PCORI will provide high-quality face coverings to all in-person attendees upon arrival and throughout the event. Attendees may seek a reasonable accommodation to this policy by submitting a request for Medical Reasonable Accommodation.

We ask that you email requests for reasonable accommodations to the masking requirement to ([email protected]) by September 3, 2023.