Electronic poster presentations in BAPEN--a controlled evaluation

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Scientific Communication
• Digital Health

Background:

• Traditional posters are a common format for scientific communication at conferences.
• Evaluating the effectiveness and delegate experience of emerging digital formats is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the quality and delegate experience of electronic posters (e-posters) versus traditional posters.
• To assess the impact of e-posters on visual clarity, interest, and discussion.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study was conducted at the 2001 BAPEN congress.
• Presenters supplemented traditional posters with electronic versions (e-posters).
• Delegate questionnaires assessed visibility, clarity, interest, and discussion, with statistical comparison using chi-squared test.

Main Results:

• E-posters showed significant improvements in 'seeing' (P=0.009), 'interest capture' (P<0.007), and 'encouragement of discussion' (P<0.05).
• A strong majority of delegates favored the use of e-posters in future meetings.
• Most delegates preferred a combined approach of e-posters and traditional posters.

Conclusions:

• E-posters offer enhanced access to presentation content and facilitate post-conference collaboration via email.
• Integrating e-posters with traditional posters can significantly improve the delivery of scientific communications.
• A hybrid approach is recommended to leverage the benefits of both digital and traditional poster formats.