Three Ways You Can Improve your Program with Virtual Conferencing A Guide for Post-Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators By Allan Zahara, Manager, Learning and Meetings, Ontario Telemedicine Network Summary OTN can help residents and Program Directors to develop rich collaborative learning and meetings using webconferencing, webcasting and videoconferencing while saving time and travel costs. Residents time pressures are legendary. But finding time for regular educational collaborative interaction with colleagues is an essential part of effective post-graduate programs. Virtual conferencing technologies allow you to extend the reach of your Rounds, Journal Clubs and Evaluation meetings as if everyone were in the same location. OTN, the world s largest telemedicine network, offers Program Directors and Coordinators several services tailored to help residents save and manage time and improve access to colleagues. A recent Canadian residency association position paper notes that good program design can improve time management. A number of different strategies have been implemented that allow residents to perform their clinical duties and partake in educational sessions. In addressing this issue, we acknowledge that different models are needed to address the unique aspects of programs across our country. Alternative models may be required for rural sites, remote sites, community locations, and/or academic centres. (Canadian Association of Internes and Residents, Position Paper on Resident Duty Hours, April 2012) This paper provides a How to model for three OTN services that can enhance your program model. 1 - OTN Webconferencing Easy, reliable virtual conferencing is now available for Rounds, Journal Clubs or Evaluations and other meetings. Using Adobe Connect, Program Directors can securely meet with residents anywhere and anytime. Once set up with a host account, you can hold one-on-one meetings or large meetings with up to 100 participants. Documents and images can be shared with one click. This makes collaboration at a distance much richer than previously possible using teleconferencing. Health care professionals report that the service is easy to use, reliable and feasible in lower bandwidth rural and remote settings. Sixtyone users surveyed reported 92% satisfaction with the service in 2011. 1
OTN Webconferencing Features Content sharing Webcam video Audio Chat Polling Whiteboard Secure encryption for privacy Travel Avoidance Webconferences allow our physicians in the community to network with citywide presentations without travelling outside of their community. OTN provisions you with a Host Account and short on demand training resources. You can get up and running in as little as 5 minutes on your first try. Thereafter, you simply log in and send your participants a link by email whenever you want to meet. No need to schedule the service. You can use a telephone or the built in audio if all participants have adequate bandwidth. Telephone is the easiest and most common use. The webcam is also optional. Simply click on the microphone or camera icons pictured above to run these features. You will need a headset and webcam if you plan to use these tools. By clicking Share My Screen participants can see anything you choose to display on your computer. Image quality is excellent. An annual license fee applies for this service. To calculate travel avoidance savings, click here. The figure below summarizes the ROI in a 2011 survey. 2
2 - OTN Webcasting: Live and Archived On the consumer and entertainment side, YouTube demonstrates the power of streamed video. Webcasting in education is now growing very quickly. OTN s webcasting service offers live and archived streaming of videoconferencing. If your department is already using OTN to videoconference your Rounds or other education offerings, you can stream it to the web for easy access for learners. You can request Live, Archived or both. You can also request password protection if you wish. 3
More than 60,000 views of OTN webcasts will occur this year demonstrating the popularity of this flexible mode of learning. Although it is a broadcast medium Live Webcasts can use the Ask a Question button to send presenters text for increased interactivity. When you schedule an OTN videoconference, you select the webcast option. You will need to decide on whether you want Live, Archived or both. You will also need to decide on a password that you will distribute to participants if you want a Private webcast. For archived webcasts, OTN will need the consent of the presenter by email. Provide OTN with the name and email address of all presenters for archived webcasts. 3 OTN Videoconferencing A sense of isolation can be a barrier for many residents in remote and rural locations. Urban traffic jams and travel time can be just as big a barrier to participation in face-to-face education. If you are not already videoconferencing your Rounds and Journal Clubs, this is a highly interactive, rich way to connect residents to academic centres. Here are 4 planning points for setting up OTN videoconferencing: 1. Identify the Need Who needs to conference? How often? Where are they? 2. Build a Team Do you have an admin staff who can train up on OTN services (scheduling, equipment use, liaison with other OTN users)? Who can help? (Program Coordinator, Resident Rep, OTN Regional Manager). Identify potential OTN studios and remote site Telemedicine Coordinators with this online tool 3. Plan your OTN Conferencing Build a relationship with Telemedicine Coordinators at remote sites Agree and book the host and remote studios Schedule the events with OTN using our scheduling software Access resources for VC Presenters and Organizers to ensure quality production standards for your videoconferences. It takes a bit of thought to be done right (lighting, mic placement, camera angles) 4. Communicate and Revise your Plan Who needs to know your plan? How will you communicate it? When will you start? Will you post your VC events on the Learning Centre to open access across OTN? Temperature check: Ask residents about satisfaction/glitches and revise plan or find out about OTN training opportunities at training@otn.ca. 4
Ontario s medical educators are in the unique position of being able to access the world s largest telemedicine network. We hope you will find these services of use. To contact an OTN representative about using OTN webconferencing, webcasting or videoconferencing, email information@otn.ca. 5