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APA’s 1997 Institute on Psychiatric Services continues to please attendees for its small, intimate size and emphasis on clinically useful information, according to an evaluation report prepared by Kathleen Debenham, M.A., administrator of continuing education and evaluation in APA’s Office of Education.
The institute was held October 24 to 28 in Washington, D.C.
According to the report, attendees agreed in significant numbers on evaluation forms filled out on site that the sessions were of excellent quality, met their educational objectives, and provided information to improve professional effectiveness. Moreover, they expressed satisfaction at having all meeting sessions held at one site.
Attendees also found appealing the program’s interdisciplinary approach, which was based on this year’s theme, "New Challenges for Proven Values: Defending Access, Fairness, Ethics, Decency."
Attendance at the 1997 institute set a new record - 2,181, 164 more than attended the 1996 institute and almost 600 more than the 1995 institute. Attendance by psychiatry residents and residents in other specialties also reached a new high at 353, nearly 120 more than at last year’s institute. Fifty-six percent of the registrants were APA members, a higher percentage than attended APA’s 1997 annual meeting in San Diego.
In putting together the 1997 program, the Scientific Program Committee, chaired by Carol Bernstein, M.D., responded to suggestions from participants at the 1996 institute. As a result, the committee placed greater emphasis on clinical applications of material presented at the institute, expanded media/computer activities, ensured greater diversity among the meeting faculty, and continued the "Innovative Program" format. This format provides overviews of noteworthy and effective program interventions.
The 1997 institute featured 14 industry-supported symposia, incorporating breakfast, lunch, and dinner sessions. Participant response to these sessions was "extremely favorable," said Debenham, as demonstrated by high attendance levels and high ratings on evaluation forms. About 96 percent of respondents agreed that the quality of the symposia was excellent, and nearly 98 percent agreed that the program presenters were effective. The Scientific Program Committee had initiated new monitoring mechanisms for this meeting to ensure that the material presented in these sessions was balanced and incorporated multiple viewpoints.
A popular, easily accessible East Coast location and improved marketing of the institute also contributed to its increased popularity, according to Debenham. Targeted mailings were sent to APA members, medical students, residents in nearby geographic areas, and allied mental health organizations. The district branch local to the meeting, the Washington Psychiatric Society, was an important part of the planning process and involved its members in many aspects of programming and leisure activities at the institute, she said.
The evaluation form was revised on a trial basis for the 1997 institute, said Debenham. All program formats were rated on a more sensitive six-point scale instead of the previous four-point scale, and every presenter at the industry-supported symposia was graded individually. Respondents could complete the evaluation form either in print or on computer. The response rate was 30 percent, the highest ever.
Because registrants indicated that they valued the institute’s small size and clinical focus, the evaluation report recommends that these central features be maintained at future institutes. The report also suggests that the number of sessions on psychotherapy and child and adolescent issues be expanded and, because of the high cost of equipment, computer sessions be taught using a demonstration rather than a hands-on approach.
APA’s 1998 institute will be held October 2 to 6 in Los Angeles.