Maria Stamelou, Co-Chair EQTF
Walter Struhal, Member EQTF
The Ethics and Quality Task Force (EQTF) was formed last year to replace the former Quality Assurance sub-Committee. This Task Force is an independent working group and reports directly to the EAN Board. It advises all other EAN committees and working groups in ethical matters. It is responsible for defining and assessing compliance with quality standards for all activities, carried out by EAN, to ensure that high quality programs are delivered.
New evaluation system
The main mission of EAN is to ensure excellence in Neurology. In a continuous effort to improve the educational and scientific content of our congress, we improved the evaluation process of the EAN congress and all EAN educational activities (Schools, Regional Teaching Courses, EAN-days and Fellowships).
This year, the congress evaluation was throughout all surveys changed to a 3-point likert data. Its aim was to trigger more feedback and overcome the individual hurdle to evaluate speakers.
The new sessions‘ evaluation form is much easier to fill out, as it is limited to only few questions focused on the presentation itself and on speaker’s performance qualities:
- Greater understanding of the topic
- Will it change my practice?
- Quality of slides/hand-outs
- Speaker was able to attract my attention
Also, the general congress evaluation form was updated and condensed to make it more practicable and easier to complete.
What happens with the evaluation data?
The congress in Oslo 2019 was attended by 6919 participants who have filled out 24.440 session evaluation forms. The amount of received evaluation results grows every year and is an important tool in the hands of participants. The evaluations are analysed by the EQTF, which is responsible for transforming this feedback into a significant impact on quality of future congresses and other educational activities.
Aggregated outcome is forwarded to the EAN Teaching Course sub-Committee and Programme Committee for consideration while completing the educational and scientific programme for the upcoming congress.
Moreover, the individual results of each speaker are provided to all EAN congress speakers, so that they can learn how their performance was received and assessed. Every year, highly-esteemed neurological specialists from Europe are invited to speak at the EAN congress. Amongst them, there are lecturers who are ranked by the participants as top speakers. As a sign of recognition and appreciation, the 10 best speakers of educational and scientific sessions receive certificates confirming their excellent performance.
How it impacts the next EAN congresses?
The analysis of the speakers‘ and sessions‘ performance is one of the most important tasks of the EQTF. The collected constructive criticisms and suggestions from participants allow us to learn about perception of EAN events. This enormous data on feedback is employed for organising future scientific and educational events.
We take this opportunity to thank you for all your input. Your evaluation feedback is of most importance to those many scientists and presenters that try to make each EAN congress a unique success, as it contributes to ensure excellence in Neurology in Europe.
If you have any queries regarding quality aspects of EAN congresses or other educational events, please do not hesitate to contact us at quality@ean.org.
