Related Experiment Videos
Using the Internet to enable access to medical conferences
C E Levy1, A T Lash, M A Iverson
1North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System and the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Flordia, Gainesville 32607, USA.
Objective:
The goal of expanding access to individuals with disabilities to scientific and medical conferences is supported by both the Americans with Disabilities Act and the National Institutes of Health.
Design:
Live-streaming video broadcast over the internet is widely available, although it has been used only in a limited fashion by the medical community. A consumer-oriented medical and rehabilitation conference concerning the rare disabling disease, fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, was broadcast via the world wide web. The address of a web page was announced before the conference to three computer users' groups that were considered likely to have an interest in the conference. The web page presented a live-streaming video broadcast of the conference. A phone line was installed, thereby allowing viewers to ask questions of the presenters during the question and answer periods.
Results:
Sixteen users logged in 83 times to view the conference over a 2-day period. Five (23%) of 22 members of a fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva internet users' group tuned in from distant places as The Netherlands and Israel.
Conclusions:
The internet is a viable tool to expand access to and increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in scientific and medical conferences. This technology should be used routinely in conferences of interest.