Post-conference Evaluation Research Articles

Virtual Accessible Bilingual Conference Planning: The Parks Accessibility Conference.

Virtual events have become more popular recently, and while these events have the potential to be inclusive to a broader range of attendees, there is limited information available on how to plan and deliver a virtual, accessible, and bilingual event. The objective of this paper is to share how our team planned and delivered a virtual conference that was fully bilingual and accessible to individuals with disabilities by incorporating closed captions, sign language interpretation, language interpretation (audio), regularly scheduled breaks, and a multi-sensory experience. We describe our approaches to planning the conference, such as including individuals with disabilities in decision-making, selecting virtual conference platforms, captioners, and interpreters, and how we incorporated a multi-sensory experience. The paper also summarizes feedback we received from our attendees using a post-conference evaluation survey and our team's reflections on positive aspects of the conference and opportunities for improvement. We conclude by providing a set of practical recommendations that we feel may be helpful to others planning virtual accessible bilingual conferences in the future.

Advancing Excellence in Transgender Health: An International Professional Development Conference on Affirming Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse People.

Increasing workforce capacity to provide knowledgeable, skilled, and affirming care for transgender and gender diverse people is critical to reduce health inequities; however, few clinicians receive sufficient training on this topic. This article describes Advancing Excellence in Transgender Health (AETH), an annual international conference that offers continuing professional development on evidence-based medical and behavioral healthcare for transgender and gender diverse people across the lifespan. Registration data and post-conference evaluation data were descriptively analyzed to assess conference reach, participant satisfaction, and participant intentions to change practice. Between 2015 and 2022, AETH trained 2677 participants from all US states and 24 countries. Based on post-conference evaluations, 2017-2022, participant satisfaction was high (mean ≥4.4 on a 5-point scale) on all measures, including meeting learning objectives, quality of presentations, and relevance to practice. Participants reported intentions to: implement new information or skills (86.7%); create or revise protocols, policies, and/or procedures (63.2%); and seek additional information (64.2%). To increase equity, the conference waives fees for transgender and gender diverse participants and offers free online sessions. The conference also holds sessions specifically for transgender and gender diverse participants to promote opportunities for community-building, self-care, and professional networking. The broad reach of AETH demonstrates a large demand for more continuing professional development on transgender and gender diverse healthcare. This conference has expanded the availability of training designed to increase and enhance clinical workforce capacity to meet the health needs of transgender and gender diverse communities in the US and across the world.

Examining Middle School Mathematics Student Teachers’ Post-Observation Conferences

Teachingpracticum allows prospective teachers to use the theoretical and practical knowledge they have learned as a student. The conferences held with the participation of the cooperativeteachers,prospectiveteachers, and theirpeers that take place after each course, carry great importance for prospective teachers to develop their professional skills. This study aims to examine the conferences held after the practice courses in terms of type and content. Two conferences of 11 prospective teachers, who undertake teaching practicum in Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Department of Elementary Mathematics Education were analyzed through content analysis. It was observed that prospective teachers generally took into account the criticisms in the conferences after the first practice and took action to improve their second teaching session. The criticisms made in the second set of meetings were found to be more positive than the previous ones. Therefore, it can be said that post-conference evaluations of the prospective teachers contribute to their professional skills.

Teaching About Racism in Medical Education: A Mixed-Method Analysis of a Train-the-Trainer Faculty Development Workshop.

Curriculum addressing racism as a driver of inequities is lacking at most health professional programs. We describe and evaluate a faculty development workshop on teaching about racism to facilitate curriculum development at home institutions. Following development of a curricular toolkit, a train-the-trainer workshop was delivered at the 2017 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Annual Spring Conference. Preconference evaluation and a needs assessment collected demographic data of participants, their learning communities, and experience in teaching about racism. Post-conference evaluations were completed at 2- and 6-month intervals querying participants' experiences with teaching about racism, including barriers; commitment to change expressed at the workshop; and development of the workshop-delivered curriculum. We analyzed quantitative data using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software and qualitative data, through open thematic coding and content analysis. Forty-nine people consented to participate. The needs assessment revealed anxiety but also an interest in obtaining skills to teach about racism. The most reported barriers to developing curriculum were institutional and educator related. The majority of respondents at 2 months (61%, n=14/23) and 6 months (70%, n=14/20) had used the toolkit. Respondents ranked all 10 components as useful. The three highest-ranked components were (1) definitions and developing common language; (2) facilitation training, exploring implicit bias, privilege, intersectionality and microaggressions, and videos/podcasts; and (3) Theater of the Oppressed and articles/books. Faculty development training, such as this day-long workshop and accompanying toolkit, can advance skills and increase confidence in teaching about racism.

Physicians' Dietary Knowledge, Attitudes, and Counseling Practices: The Experience of a Single Health Care Center at Changing the Landscape for Dietary Education.

Morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular disease can be significantly modified through lifestyle interventions, yet there is little emphasis on nutrition and lifestyle in medical education. Improving nutrition education for future physicians would likely lead to improved preparedness to counsel patients on lifestyle interventions. An online anonymous survey of medical residents, cardiology fellows, and faculty in Internal Medicine and Cardiology was conducted at New York University Langone Health assessing basic nutritional knowledge, self-reported attitudes and practices. A total of 248 physicians responded (26.7% response rate). Nutrition knowledge was fair, but few (13.5%) felt adequately trained to discuss nutrition with patients. A majority (78.4%) agreed that additional training in nutrition would allow them to provide better clinical care. Based on survey responses, a dedicated continuing medical education (CME) conference was developed to improve knowledge and lifestyle counseling skills of healthcare providers. In postconference evaluations, attendees reported improved knowledge of evidence-based lifestyle interventions. Most noted that they would prescribe a Mediterranean or plant-based diet and would make changes to their practice based on the conference. An annual CME conference on diet and lifestyle can effectively help interested providers overcome barriers to lifestyle change in clinical practice through improved nutrition knowledge.

AGING AND DIVERSE LGBT COMMUNITIES: BUILDING AWARENESS FOR COGNITIVE DECLINE AND CAREGIVING NEEDS

Health disparities exist in LGBT older adult communities, a high risk population for chronic health conditions. Cognitive decline from Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD) is an increasing concern in LGBT communities due to natural aging. A 2010 report estimated an increase from 3 million to 7 million LGBT elders by 2030. Access to care challenges for LGBT elders, caregivers and service providers include lack of knowledge, discriminatory services, stigma, socioeconomic barriers, etc. To build ADRD awareness, a partnership of seven community and academic organizations held a one-day, highly-interactive conference on priority topics from results of a pre-event community survey. Sessions included: diagnosis/treatment/side-effects; LGBT affirming assessment and resources; substance use/effects on LGBT elders; health equity; diverse communities’ needs; caregiving and mental health. About half of 227 attendees were service providers (nurses, social workers, public health workers, therapists, psychologists, etc.); the remainder were from the LGBT community (caregivers, care-recipients, care-partners, families). Half of attendees were white and the remainder reflected the diversity of greater San Francisco region (Asian, Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino). Speakers’ knowledge/expertise and interactive sessions were highly rated; post-conference evaluation respondents (n=118) intend to use information to improve: communication with LGBT/straight care-recipients, LGBT caregivers and/or providers (61%); management of care-recipients (59%); and educate LGBT caregivers and LGBT elder care-recipients (48%). Examples of attendees’ information needs were: caregiver stress, coping with discrimination, end-of-life, cultural competency, transgender health, etc. This interactive community awareness model can be adapted for LGBT elders, care-providers and healthcare professionals in global communities.

A post-conference evaluation of the 2015 National Occupational Injury Research Symposium

IntroductionThe National Occupational Injury Research Symposium (NOIRS) is the only national forum focused on occupational injury research findings, data and methods, and prevention strategies; it has been convened every 3–5years since 1997. Held in May 2015, the 6th symposium's theme was “Advancing Occupational Injury Research through Integration and Partnership.” Organizers requested that attendees complete a post-meeting evaluation to assess meeting impact, and gather information useful in planning subsequent meetings and activities. MethodThe questionnaire was publicized via a quick response code and link to the survey on symposium book cover, and mentioned at each scientific session. The online survey was designed to be completed in ≤15min; no identifying information was collected. Survey link remained open for seven days post-symposium. ResultsAbout 50% of registered attendees responded. Almost half were attending their first NOIRS. Most were researchers (69%); 45% were affiliated with government and 38% with university or research institute. Five of six reported that the symposium mostly or completely met expectations. Reasons for attending included gaining exposure to new areas of research (87%), sharing their research (80%), and to develop new ideas for conducting research (79%). The majority (90%) reported that the symposium provided adequate networking opportunities. The conference venue was reported as good or better by 69%, moreso among repeat attendees (77%) compared to first-timers (61%). DiscussionThe evaluation demonstrated that NOIRS was valuable to attendees, and provided a forum for sharing research results, developing new research ideas, and networking. Respondents provided input on different aspects of NOIRS and suggestions useful in planning next NOIRS, tentatively scheduled for 2018. NOIRS 2015 objectives for integration across disciplines and partnership with industry and safety professionals were partially met. In planning NOIRS 2018, more attention should be paid to attracting and engaging a broader spectrum of attendees.

MP020: Do real-time Twitter metrics correlate with traditional emergency medicine post-conference speaker evaluations?

Introduction: Traditional post-conference speaker evaluations are inconsistently completed; meanwhile, real time social media tools such as Twitter are increasingly used in conferences. We sought to determine whether a correlation exists between traditional conference evaluation for a speaker and the number of real-time tweets it generated using data from a CAEP conference. Methods: This study utilized a retrospective design. The hashtag #CAEP14 was prospectively registered with Symplur, an online Twitter management tool, so that all tweets related to CAEP conference 2014 were stored. A tweet was associated with a session if it mentioned the speaker name, or if the tweet content and timing closely matched that of the session in the schedule. A tweet classification system was developed to differentiate original tweets from retweets, and quotes from comments generating further discussion. Two authors assessed and coded the first 200 tweets together to ensure a uniform approach to coding, and then independently coded the remaining tweets. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus. One author reviewed post-conference speaker evaluation, and abstracted the value corresponding to the question “The speaker was an effective communicator”. We present descriptive statistics and correlation analyses. Results: A total of 3,804 tweets were collected, with 2,218 (58.3%) associated with a session. Forty-eight (48%) (131 out of 274) of sessions receiving at least one tweet, with a mean of 11.7 tweets per session (95% CI of 0 to 57.5). In comparison, only 31% (85 out of 274) of sessions received a formal post conference speaker evaluation (p<0.005). For sessions that received at least one traditional post-conference evaluation, there was no significant correlation between the number of tweets and evaluation scores (R=0.087). This can be attributed to the fact that there was minimal variation between evaluation scores (median = 3.6 out of 5, IQR of 3.4 to 3.7). Conclusion: There was no correlation between the number of real-time tweets and traditional post-conference speaker evaluation. However, many sessions which received no formal speaker evaluation generated tweets, and the number of tweets was highly variable between sessions. Thus, Twitter metrics might be useful for conference organizers to supplement formal speaker evaluations.

Evaluation of the 2012 18th Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Epidemiology and 22nd CityMatCH MCH Urban Leadership Conference: six month impact on science, program, and policy.

The 18th Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Epidemiology and 22nd CityMatCH MCH Urban Leadership Conference took place in December 2012, covering MCH science, program, and policy issues. Assessing the impact of the Conference on attendees' work 6months post-Conference provides information critical to understanding the impact and the use of new partnerships, knowledge, and skills gained during the Conference. Evaluation assessments, which included collection of quantitative and qualitative data, were administered at two time points: at Conference registration and 6months post-Conference. The evaluation files were merged using computer IP address, linking responses from each assessment. Percentages of attendees reporting Conference impacts were calculated from quantitative data, and common themes and supporting examples were identified from qualitative data. Online registration was completed by 650 individuals. Of registrants, 30% responded to the 6month post-Conference assessment. Between registration and 6month post-Conference evaluation, the distribution of respondents did not significantly differ by organizational affiliation. In the 6months following the Conference, 65% of respondents reported pursuing a networking interaction; 96% shared knowledge from the Conference with co-workers and others in their agency; and 74% utilized knowledge from the Conference to translate data into public health action. The Conference produced far-reaching impacts among Conference attendees. The Conference served as a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and attaining skills that advance the work of attendees, with the potential of impacting organizational and workforce capacity. Increasing capacity could improve MCH programs, policies, and services, ultimately impacting the health of women, infants, and children.

Role of an audience response system in didactic attendance and assessment.

The Residency Review Committee for Emergency Medicine mandates conference participation, but tracking attendance is difficult and fraught with errors. Feedback on didactic sessions, if not collected in real time, is challenging to obtain. We assessed whether an audience response system (ARS) would (1) encourage residents to arrive on time for lectures, and (2) increase anonymous real-time audience feedback. The ARS (Poll Everywhere) provided date/time-stamped responses to polls from residents, including a question to verify attendance and questions to gather immediate, anonymous postconference evaluations. Fisher exact test was used to calculate proportions. The proportion of residents who completed evaluations prior to the institution of the ARS was 8.75, and it was 59.42 after (P < .001). The proportion of faculty who completed evaluations prior to using the ARS was 6.12, and it was 85.71 after (P < .001). The proportion of residents who reported they had attended the conference session was 55 for the 3weeks prior to initiating the ARS, decreasing to 46.67 for the 3weeks during which the ARS was used to take attendance (P = .46). The proportion of faculty who reported attending the conference was 5.56 for the 3weeks prior to ARS initiation, decreasing to 4.44 for the 3weeks while using the ARS (P = .81). Audience response systems are an effective way to verify attendance and tardiness, eliminating the subjective effect of attendance takers' leniency and increasing completion of evaluations for didactic sessions.

Continuous professional development for physicians

Maintenance of professional competence remains an exercise of permament learning and an essential requirement for evidence –based medical practice. Physicians attend continuing professional development (CPD) programs to acquire new knowledge. Often CPD programs remain the main source for updates of information. CPD organizers have a considerable responsibility in determining appropriate curriculum for their conferences. Organizing an effective CPD activity often requires understanding of the principles of adult education. Prior to deciding on the curriculum for a CPD, course organizers should conduct needs assessment of physicians. CPD planners should create activities that would consistently improve physician competence. CPD sessions that are interactive, using multiple methods of instructions for small groups of physicians from a single specialty are more likely to change physician knowledge and behavior. The effectiveness of a CPD program should be evaluated at a level beyond measuring physician satisfaction. CPD planners should incorporate methods to determine the course attendees’ improvement of knowledge, skills and attitudes during the CPD activities. Pre and post conference evaluations of physicians using multiple choice questions may form a useful method of assessment.

Simultaneous multi-state equine business education program

Simultaneous multi-state equine business education program

On the benefits of practitioner organisations becoming more involved in ecological knowledge exchange

On the benefits of practitioner organisations becoming more involved in ecological knowledge exchange

Introduction to the Special Section from Recent Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) Programs

The Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) offers programming at the annual American Psychological Association (APA) conventions as well as periodic APAHC conferences. Participants from academic health centers across the country convened in St. Louis, Missouri, October 15-17, 2009, for the 4th National Conference of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC). The title of the conference was ''Psychologists in Academic Health Centers: Facing Tomorrow's Challenges to AHC Programs and Careers.'' Efforts were made to include topics relevant to academic health center (AHC) practice including the unique challenges of working in AHCs and issues pertinent to the different stages of AHC careers. To facilitate networking, opportunities for discussion among conferees and presenters with shared interests and concerns were provided throughout the conference. This paper introduces the special section of JCPMS dedicated to the conference and provides a brief overview of its development and organization. Articles selected for inclusion represent a sampling of the four conference themes: (1) challenges to AHC programs, (2) staying current in critical clinical areas, (3) professional issues and challenges, and (4) challenges to developing careers. Post-conference evaluation data are presented as evidence of the need for further conferences with similar foci. The programming offered by APAHC at the APA convention in San Diego in 2010 built on the themes offered at the 2009 APAHC conference.

Honoramos A Todas Nuestras Madres Con El Don Del Conocimiento: A Conference To Learn the Needs of Latina Patients and Families Seen for Breast Cancer Risk Assessment.

Abstract Background: Long-term follow-up surveys of Spanish-speaking Latina patients at increased risk for hereditary breast cancer who completed genetic cancer risk assessment (GCRA) in our underserved clinics revealed a need for ongoing education and support. Consequently, we invited patients back for a half-day educational conference, employing mixed methods research to better understand their medical and social/cultural issues and needs.Aims: The conference aims were to: 1) share medical advances in GCRA and cancer screening and prevention recommendations and resources and 2) explore GCRA-related experiences and needs, and access to risk-appropriate care.Methods: Invitees were Latina patients with personal and/or family history of breast cancer who completed GCRA between 2001-2009 and their family members. The conference, conducted entirely in Spanish, was held at the regional county medical facility where our underserved clinic is conducted. Educational information was delivered by podium-presentations, expert and patient panel discussions and interactive sessions and community resource booth exhibits. Mixed methods research (surveys and Audio Response System [ARS] mediated interaction and discussion) was used to explore GRCA experiences and access to care.Results: The 71 primarily Spanish speaking (96%) participants ranged in age from 18 to 71 years (mean age, 44), were female (93%), had children (78%), and had at least completed high school (71%). Of the 41 patient-participant, 78% were accompanied by at least one family member and/or friend. Thirty (73%) had a personal history of breast cancer; 4 also had ovarian cancer. Of the 35 tested, 20 (57%) were BRCA positive. Nearly all participants (96%) completed the voluntary survey and post-conference evaluation. On average, 87% responded to eight ARS questions related to the GCRA process and access to care. The majority of patient-participant (71%) understood why they were referred for GCRA, 15% did not, and 13% were uncertain. Eighty percent understood their cancer risk; however 20% expressed a need for more risk information. Although 83% understood cancer screening recommendations, 17% were unsure and requested more information. Interestingly, only 5% reported lack of access to care. More than 75% found the GCRA process stressful and desired more support and preparedness for sharing information with relatives. All responders (96%) reported that the conference met their expectations, valued the resources provided, and suggested allocating more time for questions in a future conference.Conclusion: The interactive conference format was highly rated and effective in providing Latina breast cancer patients and family members with ongoing education and support following GCRA, and provided important information to guide improvement in the risk assessment process. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 3073.

Counselor assessments of training and adoption barriers

The prevailing emphasis on adopting evidence-based practices suggests that more focused training evaluations that capture factors in clinician decisions to use new techniques are needed. This includes relationships between postconference evaluations and subsequent adoption of training materials. We therefore collected training assessments at two time points from substance abuse treatment counselors who attended a training on dual diagnosis and another on therapeutic alliance as part of a state-sponsored conference. Customized evaluations were collected to assess counselor perceptions of training quality, relevance, and resources in relation to its use during the 6 months after the conference. Higher ratings for relevance of training concepts and materials to service the needs of clients, desire to have additional training, and level of program support were related to greater trial use during the follow-up period. Primary resource-related and procedural barriers cited by the counselors included lack of time and redundancy with existing practices.

Real-time videoconferencing: promise for pandemic influenza preparedness

In preparing for an influenza pandemic it has been recognised that routine communication modes are inadequate to support transnational responses to public health emergencies. We assessed the Access Grid, a high bandwidth, open source network, as a possible solution. Through the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Emerging Infections Network (APEC EINet), we connected various public health sites in the APEC region via the Access Grid. In January 2006, ten APEC members discussed their epidemiological situation and their pandemic planning status in a 210–min vidéoconférence. Few technical difficulties were experienced. Clinical and public health collaborations, surveillance, scenario exercises, vaccine and antiviral use, and business continuity planning were discussed. In a post-conference evaluation by five sites, the vidéoconférence was reported to be both effective and efficient in promoting regional information sharing on preparedness.

A9-month Follow-up Evaluation of a Teleconference Using a Mixed Model for Distance Education

LEARNING OUTCOME:To evaluate the long-terra effectiveness of a new mixed model approach to distance education and to determine its impact on practice.A new “mixed model” approach for distance education (DE) combining satellite teleconferencing with hands-on activity sessions was evaluated nine months following the conference to determine its impact on practice. This new model was developed to adjust for many of the disadvantages associated with DE (e.g., difficult to personalize lessons) and traditional in-person training (e.g., costly and inefficient at reaching large audiences). The mixed model used a two-day mix of live teleconference speakers, video clips, interactive call-in sessions, and local sessions. We used this approach to teach Special Supplemental Food Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC) educators about facilitated group discussions (FGD), an innovative educational technique that involves interactive learning. Three general areas were included in the teleconference: 1) background and philosophy for nutrition education; 2) skill building exercises; and, 3) hands-on practice in small group settings. The conference was broadcast to 30 Southwestern sites. Pro- and immediately post-conference evaluation questionnaires (n=525) were administered and analyzed, then compared with the 9-months follow-up mail survey. The study is still in progress. Preliminary analysis (n=200; response rate=39%) indicates: Positive attitude towards teleconferences was maintained from post-conference (81%) to 9-months follow-up (80%), and was significantly higher than pre-conference (36%; p < .0001). At follow-up, 79% of participants indicated they still know how to implement FGD (vs. 86% post-conference), 70% indicated they can teach and model FGD to others (vs. 79% post-conference), and 59% reported having implemented FGD during their WIC education sessions (at post-conference 72% intended to implement FGD). Of those who responded at 9-months, 82% declared they would like to attend future teleconferences. Results clearly indicate an overwhelming positive response towards the new mixed model approach and show its long-term effectiveness at introducing and teaching new information and techniques to large audiences. We recommend it for other large-scale distance -education programs.