Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Health care needs new presentation techniques

Stephen P. Wood, ACNP-BC
Tech
December 1, 2019
13 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

“So, if you look at this table, you can see that group X had a small but statistically significant increase in mortality over group Y. What does that tell us? It suggests that maybe there is some signal that intervention A is better than intervention B.”

The slide has some table from some journal, and the speaker will then often circle some p-value and talk about the strengths and weaknesses of the study as a precursor to the next slide that will also contain a graph from some journal, some other study and some other p-values for you to consider.

This is the standard annual conference, continuing medical education, morbidity, and mortality rounds lecture that we have all had to sit through. The room is often silent. A few people appear to be comatose or are outright sleeping. The rest are flipping through their phones. Only the speaker is engaged, and sometimes even that is questionable. If you have had to sit through one of these lectures, you know they are boring. They don’t engage any critical thinking, and the content doesn’t always translate to any valuable lesson on the topic.

This teaching style is the time-tested, lights-dimmed, sage-on-the-stage style of disseminating information to the ever-eager student.

There is a problem with this format, though. It isn’t engaging people to think. It isn’t keeping their attention. It is challenging propofol to be the agent of choice for the induction of anesthesia.

There has been a paradigm shift in medical schools and other health professions to shift away from the podium lecturer and to engage new ways of learning. This includes the flipped classroom, case-based learning, among other techniques.

While “the lecture” will never be replaced, there is certainly room to improve on this age-old practice and bring some life into the classroom, rounds, and into conferences.

The standard medical conference has not kept up with this change. Most commonly, an expert in the field stands at a podium with a clicker and a pointer to discuss a topic that they are well known for or doing research about.

Graphs, charts, tables, and data in some format is the staple of the slide-makeup of these lectures. Yes, we need the data. But how about presenting it in a different way? Storytelling is one way to convey this information and keep people engaged. Sure, talking about a case is one way to do this, but it often turns into a “this is how smart I am” saga. “I was able to figure this out when no one else could.”

We all know you are smart; that’s why you are giving the talk. A story about an experience or something from history that really highlights your point can be even more engaging and really get people listening and engaged.

Using better graphics is a great way to liven up a lecture as well. Instead of putting up a slide with a graph that shows a 5 % increase in survival when using Drug Y with p-values and scatter plots, put up a graphic with one group of 20 people and one group of 21 (if I got that math right) to really demonstrate the effect you want to show. Or just a slide with a huge “5%” and tell the story of what that means from both a statistical and clinical standpoint.

Another method is the Pecha Kucha method. This is Japanese for “chatter.” The rules of Pecha Kucha are 20 slides, 20 seconds. That is 20 seconds per slide for 20 slides, which ends up being a 6 minute and 40-second presentation. I’m not suggesting that every presentation should be 6 minutes (or should they), but it is a great way to keep a presentation moving.

If you are spending more than 20 or 30 seconds on a slide, you are spending too much time per slide. Keep the program moving, and people will be engaged. Better yet, don’t use slides at all. One of the best talks I have attended was a trauma surgeon, no slides, and an interactive case. Everyone was paying attention.

Which brings us to audience participation. It is important too. But asking, “Are there any questions?” just doesn’t work. No one wants to be wrong, and sometimes you get a statement rather than a question.

Integrating something like Poll Everywhere or a “choose-your-own-adventure” technique is a safer, more interactive way to get people to engage. They already have their cell phones out. Instead of flipping through email, they can participate in a poll or ask a question.

Lastly, make sure to pause. Humans, on average, will only listen to 15-20-minute segments of material before they zone out. That means they are missing half of a 30-minute lecture. Take a pause every 10 or 15 minutes. See where everyone is at. Have them stand up or do something interactive in your lecture to re-engage them.

There are a lot of resources out there on how to improve your presentation. If you are dusting off your old slides or cutting and pasting tables, graphs, and plots, you are doing yourself and your learners a disservice. Integrate some of these and the many other techniques available out there to liven up your presentation and keep people engaged and keep them learning.

Stephen P. Wood is a nurse practitioner and can be reached on Twitter @stephenpaulwoo4.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Doctors on TV: today vs. 20 years ago

November 30, 2019 Kevin 1
…
Next

9 hacks that will increase your clinical efficiency immediately

December 1, 2019 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Practice Management

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Doctors on TV: today vs. 20 years ago
Next Post >
9 hacks that will increase your clinical efficiency immediately

More by Stephen P. Wood, ACNP-BC

  • Being like squid is easy. Don’t be one.

    Stephen P. Wood, ACNP-BC
  • What this clinician learned from a whale watching tour

    Stephen P. Wood, ACNP-BC
  • Change the approach to triage to alleviate ER overcrowding

    Stephen P. Wood, ACNP-BC

Related Posts

  • How social media can help or hurt your health care career

    Health eCareers
  • Turn physicians into powerful health care influencers

    Kevin Pho, MD
  • America leads the world in high tech care and health care costs

    Mark Kelley, MD
  • Why health care replaced physician care

    Michael Weiss, MD
  • Health care is not a service commodity

    Peter Spence, MD, MBA
  • Why the health care industry must prioritize health equity

    George T. Mathew, MD, MBA

More in Tech

  • The pros and cons of using ChatGPT for your health care needs

    Liudmila Schafer, MD
  • A new era of collaboration between AI and health care professionals

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • What I think it means to be a medical student in the wake of AI

    Jackson J. McCue
  • The rise of generative AI in health care: Here’s what you need to know

    Anil Saldanha
  • Can AI solve the physician shortage crisis?

    Harry Severance, MD
  • Bridging the digital divide: How to bring trust back into the patient-physician relationship

    Arti Masturzo, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • What is driving physicians to the edge of despair?

      Edward T. Creagan, MD | Physician
    • Beyond the disease: the power of empathy in health care

      Nana Dadzie Ghansah, MD | Physician
    • Deaths of despair: an urgent call for a collective response to the crisis in U.S. life expectancy

      Mohammed Umer Waris, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The dark side of medicine: an urgent call to action against greed

      Don Gaede, MD | Physician
    • The surprising power of Play-Doh in pediatric care: How it’s bringing families together

      Alexander Rakowsky, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking free from gaslighting [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The pros and cons of using ChatGPT for your health care needs

      Liudmila Schafer, MD | Tech
    • Dr. Glaucomflecken for president!

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Amy Bissada, DO & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • What is driving physicians to the edge of despair?

      Edward T. Creagan, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • How Did Pulse Oximeters Perform in Black Kids?
  • Coffee and Heart Function; Ionizing Radiation and CVD
  • Health Inequity Should Be Labeled as a 'Never Event'
  • Healing the Damaged Nurse-Physician Dynamic
  • Doc Moms, Mind the Gap -- $3M Earning Difference by Sex

Meeting Coverage

  • Switch to IL-23 Blocker Yields Deep Responses in Recalcitrant Plaque Psoriasis
  • Biomarkers of Response With Enfortumab Vedotin in Advanced Urothelial Cancer
  • At-Home Topical Therapy for Molluscum Contagiosum Gets High Marks
  • Outlook for Itchy Prurigo Nodularis Continues to Improve With IL-31 Antagonist
  • AAAAI President Shares Highlights From the 2023 Meeting
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • What is driving physicians to the edge of despair?

      Edward T. Creagan, MD | Physician
    • Beyond the disease: the power of empathy in health care

      Nana Dadzie Ghansah, MD | Physician
    • Deaths of despair: an urgent call for a collective response to the crisis in U.S. life expectancy

      Mohammed Umer Waris, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The dark side of medicine: an urgent call to action against greed

      Don Gaede, MD | Physician
    • The surprising power of Play-Doh in pediatric care: How it’s bringing families together

      Alexander Rakowsky, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking free from gaslighting [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The pros and cons of using ChatGPT for your health care needs

      Liudmila Schafer, MD | Tech
    • Dr. Glaucomflecken for president!

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Amy Bissada, DO & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • What is driving physicians to the edge of despair?

      Edward T. Creagan, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today iMedicalApps
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...