“Faces on a screen”: A qualitative study of the virtual and in‐person conference experience

Abstract

Introduction:The strengths and weaknesses of virtual and in-person formats within continuing professional development (CPD) are incompletely understood. This study sought to explore attendees' perspectives across multiple specialties regarding benefits and limitations of conference formats and strategies for successful virtual and hybrid (i.e., in-person conferences with a virtual option) conferences.Methods: From December 2020 to January 2021, semistructured interviews were conducted with participants who attended both virtual and in-person CPD conferences. Purposive sampling was utilized to ensure diverse representation of gender, years in practice, location, academic rank, specialty, and practice type. Multiple specialties were intentionally sought to better understand the broader experience among physicians in general, rather than among a specific specialty. Using modified grounded theory approach with a constructivist-interpretivist paradigm, two investigators independently analyzed all interview transcripts. Discrepancies were resolved by indepth discussion and negotiated consensus.Results: Twenty-six individuals across 16 different specialties were interviewed. We identified three overarching concepts: motivations to attend conferences, benefits and limitations of different conference formats, and strategies to optimize virtual and hybrid conferences. Specific motivators included both professional and personal factors. Benefits of in person included networking/community, immersion, and wellness, while the major limitation was integration with personal life. Benefits of virtual were flexibility, accessibility, and incorporation of technology, while limitations included technical challenges, distractions, limitations for tactile learning, and communication/ connection. Benefits of hybrid included more options for access, while limitations included challenges with synchrony of formats and dilution of experiences. Strategies to improve virtual/hybrid conferences included optimizing technology/production, facilitating networking and engagement, and deliberate selection of content.Conclusions: This study identified several benefits and limitations of each medium as well as strategies to optimize virtual and hybrid CPD conferences. This may help inform future CPD conference planning for both attendees and conference planners alike.

Reducing the Environmental Impact of Health Care Conferences: A Study of Emissions and Practical Solutions

“… 34 Previous qualitative assessments of virtual and hybrid professional development conferences have identified flexibility, accessibility, and useful incorporation of technology as major assets of a virtual conference format that can help offset other downsides. 35 Hybrid or virtual formats also have the potential to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within the medical field by removing financial, physical, and temporal barriers for individuals with disabilities, caretaking responsibilities, and financial constraints. 4 , 34 Although hybrid and virtual formats have already been successfully used in several fields, including surgery, dermatovenereology, and rheumatology, they have unexplored potential for further optimization and utilization.…”

“The genie is out of the bottle”: a qualitative study on the impact of COVID-19 on continuing professional development

“…Some scholars contend that the flexibility offered by virtual delivery has the potential to eliminate systemic barriers for equity-denied groups [ 29 , 32 ]. In particular, COVID-19 may have increased access to medical education content for women [ 29 ], parents of young children [ 33 ], individuals from remote communities [ 29 , 34 ], and international audiences [ 35 ] who may face barriers to in-person attendance. Conversely, we found that in certain instances, virtual delivery impeded clinicians’ ability to meaningfully engage in CPD, particularly for women and senior clinicians.…”

“…In addition, there remains a paucity of literature on the unique considerations associated with meaningful engagement during hybrid events. Preliminary research has begun to contribute to this gap, for example, Gottlieb et al [ 35 ] found that using multiple mediums can introduce challenges with synchrony that dilute the quality of experience for both in-person and virtual audiences. The authors suggest that enlisting technology specialists, creating opportunities for interactivity and engagement, and ensuring that content is appropriate for digital format are crucial to enhancing hybrid events.…”

CONGRESSOS ACADÊMICOS NA ERA DIGITAL: Uma investigação empírica do International Congress Management and Accounting 2022

“…Os congressos virtuais oferecem oportunidades flexíveis e acessíveis a diversos pesquisadores, permitindo uma maior inclusão e diversidade nas discussões ao superar barreiras econômicas, geográficas, sociais e de gênero (Gottlieb et al, 2022;Valenti et al, 2021). Na mesma linha, Stamelou et al (2021) afirmam que a inclusão é uma das grandes vantagens dos congressos online, possibilitando a participação de todos, desde pesquisadores com menos renda até pessoas com deficiência e até mesmo àqueles que não têm a possibilidade de viajar para o evento, fazendo assim com que o evento alcance mais pessoas e tenha maior impacto acadêmico.…”

“…(Sarabipour et al, 2021, p. 2). Essa nova realidade, principalmente no entendimento dos pontos fortes e fracos dos eventos virtuais e presenciais, ainda é compreendida de forma incompleta (Gottlieb et al, 2022).…”