Focus Groups
All times are Central Standard Time.
Make an Impact on the Future of Respiratory Care — Participate in Focus Groups
AARC Congress 2026 focus groups are sponsored by Fisher & Paykel, Apnimed, and Becton, Dickinson & Company. If you have questions related to focus groups, contact Paul Miniter, AARC VP of Business Development and Sponsorships.
Day 1 — Saturday, Nov. 14
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Room TBA
The Future of Respiratory Care Diagnostics: Perspectives on Clinical Practice, Quality, and Innovation
Participate in an interactive focus group exploring current practices, challenges, and opportunities related to respiratory care diagnostics. As a respiratory therapist, your clinical expertise and frontline experience are invaluable. We are seeking insights from professionals who perform, oversee, educate, or influence diagnostic testing practices to better understand current workflows, clinical considerations, operational challenges, and future needs within respiratory care. By participating, you will have the opportunity to contribute to a collaborative discussion regarding current practice and emerging trends in respiratory therapy. Together, we can identify opportunities to better understand the evolving needs of clinicians and healthcare organizations.
This event is made possible through a sponsorship from Beckton, Dickinson & Company
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m. | Room TBA
Advancing Pediatric NIV Mask Design Through Clinical Insight
If you are a respiratory therapist with pediatric experience in a director or bedside clinician role, share your insights in this interactive focus group on Pediatric Noninvasive Ventilation (NIV). Your frontline expertise on device selection, workflows, and current market interfaces will directly influence the development of next-generation pediatric NIV mask solutions. The focus group will explore the unique challenges, benefits, and limitations of existing pediatric NIV masks, along with critical barriers faced in care delivery. Help drive innovation, improve mask design, and advance care for pediatric patients receiving NIV support.
This event is made possible through a sponsorship from Fisher & Paykel
Day 2 — Sunday, Nov. 15
7:00 a.m.–8:30 a.m. | Room TBA
Navigating OSA Management with Respiratory Therapists
Participate in an interactive focus group exploring current practices, challenges, and opportunities in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) care. As a respiratory therapist, your clinical expertise and frontline experience are invaluable. Apnimed is seeking your perspective on OSA patient recognition, clinical decision-making, referral pathways, and treatment management, including barriers to diagnosis, treatment adoption, and follow-up care of patients with OSA. AD109 remains investigational and is in development for OSA. AD109 has not been approved for any use in any jurisdiction.
This event is made possible through a sponsorship from Apnimed
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m. | Room TBA
Managing Airway Stability in Invasively Ventilated Patients
If you are a respiratory therapist serving in a director or bedside clinician role, sign up to be considered for this interactive focus group on airway stability during invasive mechanical ventilation. Discuss and share your real-world experiences, practices across clinical settings (ED vs. ICU, tertiary vs. regional), and the benefits and challenges of various securement methods. The focus group will explore key decision-making factors, practice variations, and real-world barriers. Your insights will directly shape future educational initiatives and product development aimed at improving patient outcomes.
This event is made possible through a sponsorship from Fisher & Paykel
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m. | Room TBA
Ventilation in Acute Care and Resuscitation: BVM and Invasive Ventilation Strategies
We invite you to participate in an interactive focus group exploring current practices, challenges, and opportunities in ventilation during acute care and resuscitation. As a respiratory therapist, your clinical expertise and frontline experience are invaluable. We are seeking insights from professionals who work directly with adult patients undergoing respiratory and/or cardiac arrest to better understand the practice of delivering appropriate ventilation from a BVM or ventilator.
This event is made possible through a sponsorship from ZOLL Medical Corporation
Day 3 — Monday, Nov. 16
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m. | Room TBA
From Bedside to Boardroom: Respiratory Therapy’s Role in Quality Improvement
Join fellow respiratory therapy leaders who are interested in quality improvement for an interactive focus group exploring how RT departments drive hospital-wide quality and continuous improvement. Share your strategies for identifying priority initiatives, establishing key performance metrics, and aligning projects with system goals. You’ll also be able to share the practical ways you measure impact and effectively communicate value to C-suite leadership to support strategic program growth. If chosen for this focus group, please bring a past or current quality improvement project example to enrich knowledge-sharing.
This event is made possible through a sponsorship from Fisher & Paykel