Twelve tips for facilitating successful teleconferences

Calvin L. ChouUniversity of California, San Francisco, USA;Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA; CALVIN L. CHOU, MD, PhD, is Director of the VALOR Structured Clerkship Program, Academy Chair of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He has run many teleconferences as ENRICH course director for the American Academy on Communication in Healthcare.Correspondence[email protected]

Susan B. PromesUniversity of California, San Francisco, USA; SUSAN B. PROMES, MD, is Professor and Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Emergency Medicine and Director of Curricular Affairs for GME at the University of California, San Francisco. She has led multiple meetings in her various leadership roles both in person and via teleconference.

Kevin H. SouzaUniversity of California, San Francisco, USA; KEVIN H. SOUZA, MS, is Assistant Dean for Medical Education at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. He has published on the services and organizational structures of educational technology units within North American medical schools and has worked with MedEdPortal to establish peer-review criteria for educational scholarship.

Kimberly S. ToppUniversity of California, San Francisco, USA; KIMBERLY S. TOPP, PT, PhD, is Professor and Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science and Sexton Sutherland Endowed Chair in Human Anatomy at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. She has held several leadership positions at the university and in national professional organizations.

Patricia S. O'SullivanUniversity of California, San Francisco, USA; PATRICIA S. O’ SULLIVAN, EdD, is Director, Office of Research and Faculty Development, and Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Her research focuses on clinical assessment and faculty development.

Abstract

Background: The work of medical education is increasingly collaborative across geographical sites, sometimes spanning international borders. The success of projects depends more strongly on how meetings are led and run than variables about the task itself; therefore, excellent communication using teleconferencing technology is required. However, we found no medical literature to assist with developing best practices in telecommunication.

Aim: Using the organization and management literature, which has examined the use of telecommunication in optimizing work outcomes, we provide a guide for initiating and facilitating teleconferences.

Methods: We used Tuckman's framework for group development as a means of organizing guidelines that address practical issues in approaching communication on teleconferences and discuss important aspects of forming work groups using telecommunication, setting ground rules and norms, addressing conflict, and enhancing accountability and outcomes.

Results: We identified 12 tips for optimal teleconferencing and divided them into phases of formation, setting ground rules, managing conflict, and enhancing group performance.

Conclusion: Successful work on teleconferences requires excellent attention to the group process, especially since full engagement by participants is not always assured.

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Twelve tips for facilitating successful teleconferences

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Twelve tips for facilitating successful teleconferences

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