We have an exciting and innovative program for Daytona Beach.  I'd like to bring your attention to several "hidden gems" and their implications for AAPB and its future.

Biofeedback and gaming:  Did you know that research in biofeedback and gaming has been underway for some time?  And did you know that this work will probably go "public" within the next year or so?  When that happens, the public's awareness of biofeedback will increase significantly.  We want AAPB members and guests to learn more about this exciting extension of traditional biofeedback and to be better prepared to use the technology in a clinical environment.   Don't miss this very exciting symposium!

International Stress Management Association:  This year, we will welcome members of ISMA to AAPB's meeting.  ISMA will have a series of events on stress management, and we hope that AAPB members will take advantage of them.  As soon as we can get some government paperwork out of the way, ISMA will join AAPB as a division.  We welcome ISMA to our meeting.

Mind-Body Institute:  You may have noticed a "Mind-Body Institute" workshop tucked in among the program offerings for this year and wondered what the "Mind-Body Institute" was all about.  We all know of individuals who are using biofeedback and applied psychophysiology as part of their employment within a specialized clinic or treatment program.  Some of these individuals are licensed professionals, and some are unlicensed technicians.  Some are using biofeedback effectively, and some are not.  Some of these individuals are AAPB members, and some are not. 

In an effort to improve the care that patients receive within these clinics, we've established the Mind-Body Institute.  One of the goals of the Mind-Body Institute is to identify and train individuals who already use biofeedback to treat a specific condition or who are interested in adding biofeedback to the treatments offered by the clinic.  Another goal is to focus on biofeedback and applied psychophysiology for a specific disease state, not a general training program of biofeedback for multiple disorders.  If biofeedback will be offered in a clinic, we want to have confidence that patients are receiving the most up-to-date and empirically validated techniques available for the disorder.

This year, we will have a Mind-Body Institute presentation on headaches.  The program will be offered by Frank Andrasik and Steve Baskin.  Attendees will read preparatory materials before participating in the two-day workshop.  A fairly rigorous post-training examination will conclude the workshop, and attendees who pass will receive a statement attesting to their successful completion of the training program. 

We will market the program to neurological clinics in Florida and the southeast.  If we're successful, we will market the headache program in other regions of the country and develop other, equally rigorous programs. 

Through the Mind-Body Institute, we hope to spread biofeedback's presence in treatment centers and insure that patients receive high quality care.

Definition of biofeedback:  The nomenclature task force has been hard at work crafting a definition of biofeedback that is comprehensive and consumer-friendly.  This is harder work than you might imagine.  When we have a definition that acceptable to AAPB, BCIA, and ISNR, we will be able to work more collaboratively with regulatory agencies such as the FDA to reign in abuses of some manufacturers that use "biofeedback" in a way that's confusing to the public and not at all representative of our vision.  Mark Schwartz, the chair of this task force, will present a report at the Daytona meeting.

We continue to stay alert to problems with reimbursement for biofeedback services.  From the reports we've received from members, we've learned that reimbursement patterns can often be contradictory across the U.S.  What works for one provider in one area of the country may not work for someone in a different area.  We believe these discrepancies may reflect personal relationships that our members have built with third-party payers.  We know how frustrating it can be when insurance companies appear to change their policies.  And we know that no one likes to spend time re-educating a clerk about the value of biofeedback.  On the other hand, we know that many of our members are successful in their dealings with companies.  We'd like to hear about your successes.  Please share them.

See you in Daytona!