Health and Sciences Communication Association Annual Conference, Denver, 10–12 June 2004

Abstract

Denver, the capital of Colorado State, was the venue for the 29 annual conference of the Health and Science Communications Association (HeSCA). Known as the milehigh city – it being a mile above sea level – Denver lies in the middle of high plains at the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains. As one of the most isolated major cities in the United States, there was very much a ‘western’ feel to the city, which is now a modern high-rise metropolis and home to the Valley of Coors Baseball Field, the Colorado History Museum, and the United States Mint. Denver proudly boasts the largest international airport in the USA; the first impression of Denver for the majority of delegates to the conference, who had travelled from all over America, Canada and the UK. The three-day conference was packed with an excellent programme and delegates began their days early, with most sessions beginning at 8.00am. The first day of the conference was devoted to telemedicine and e-learning. Vic Spitzer opened the morning session with a brief update on the Visible Human Project, and then introduced Colin Monks and Richard McIntosh, who described how comprehension and understanding of the human body has developed through threedimensional imaging; the theme was continued by Paul Baker who brought the Visible Human Project to life through animation. He described how programmers designed software capable of tracing anatomical structures, which in turn were converted into 3-D wire-frame models. He showed examples of how the 3-D models could then be used in animations, multimedia projects, or ‘screen-grabbed’ for use in print. Vic Spitzer concluded the session by demonstrating advances in human modelling and simulation for riskfree procedure training, involving three-dimensional stereoscopy. The next session concentrated on e-learning and telehealth, and included presentations by Sally Jonhstone, Mark Brodsky, Karen Adsit, Erwin Boschmann and Frank Brady. The speakers confirmed that the USA is leading the field in this area of education; it was evident that many of the American universities have well-developed e-learning programmes in place. Although some of the programmes were developed in-house, due to the developments in technology and the increasing complexity of the courses, many are now being out-sourced. This session considered many aspects of their operation, including global telemedicine and teaching. The first day ended with a Quicktalk session. Arlyn Bonfield described the development of a website aimed to provide an effective online means to teach teachers how to teach using proven strategies, such as brainstorming, case discussion, reflective exercise and role play. Mark Saba then showed, by means of a case study, how his service can design effective media on a tight budget. After an exhausting first day session, there was no time for delegates to rest as the traditional HeSCA auction began. This was followed by dinner at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, where the planetarium had been booked for a fabulous private show. The second day of the conference concentrated less on technology and more on human interactions, and included a number of management issues. Allan Wallis began with a look at how threat is communicated, and how delegates might adapt their leadership style as issues such as SARS, AIDS, global warming and terrorism, make life more challenging. Mickey Skiba then described the relationship between organizational change and informal learning in the workplace. Next, Bill Peters described how his career had developed through volunteerism. Carol Beckerman gave a thought-provoking presentation about ethics in the workplace, and pricked at the conscience of each delegate about how their behaviour can affect those they work with. Carol Fleming followed with a presentation about the benefits of quality management systems within health communication departments; this was followed by Bob Myers who described how his service had designed and installed new technology-based facilities. The afternoon session was given over to the practical workshops; many took place off-site giving delegates the opportunity to stretch their legs and see a little bit more of Denver. Subjects included website design, health literacy, and advanced PowerPoint tutorials. The final day of the conference began with a presentation by Helen Osborne, who focussed on health literacy and its relevance to media producers. This was followed by John Jackson who described how the effective use of graphics can help achieve clear health communication. Karen Baker then described how her organization works alongside health professionals in order to produce media which allow people to make better health decisions, by developing partnerships with doctors. After lunch, Christine Perfetti gave an insight into the effective design of websites by describing the secret Journal of Audiovisual Media in Medicine, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 176–177