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Quality Assesment of MIE 2009 Sarajevo Conference Presentations

Article  in  Acta Informatica Medica · March 2010

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Quality Assesment of Mie
2009 Sarajevo Conference
Presentations
Izet Masic1, Igor Kulasin1, Belma Muhamedagic1, Salih Valjevac2
Medical Faculty of University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina1
Agency for Healthcare Quality and Accreditation, Sarajevo, Bosnia and
Herzegovina2
SUMMARY. Introduction: XXII European
Congress of Medical Informatics (MIE 2009)
took place in Sarajevo from August 30th to
September 2nd 2009. Assessment of qual-
ity of papers presented at MIE 2009 was
a process of observation, measurement,
comparison and evaluation of the quality
of orally presented papers. Methodology:
For this study, and for the first time since
EFMI founding (1976) and MIE congresses,
the authors introduced a specially created
quality assessment form with five relevant
paper quality variables (methodological
approach, international influence, scientific
content, language quality, technical features)
which the first author of this article used in
peer-review process of papers submitted for
publication in the journal Acta Informatica
Medica (as Editor-in-Chief for last 18 years).
The survey was conducted on the principle
1. INTRODUCTION
Assessment of quality of papers
presented at MIE 2009 Conference
in Sarajevo (August 30th to Septem-
ber 2nd 2009) was a process of ob-
servation, measurement, comparison
and evaluation of the quality of oral-
ly presented papers (1, 2). Assess-
ment may be affected by the follow-
ing factors: the oratory skills (style
and manner of expression) of the
presenter, active knowledge or igno-
rance of the official language (in this
case English), previous experience of
presenting at similar conferences and

Quality Assesment of Mie 2009 Sarajevo Conference Presentations
of random sampling of participants of MIE
2009 Conference in Sarajevo, where specially
trained interviewers (final year students of
medicine and engineering at the University of
Sarajevo) interviewed 33 session’s chairs and
110 participants/listeners of MIE 2009 paper
presentations in 33 sessions (of total 40).
Data was collected, entered into a specially
created database, analyzed and presented.
Results: From the total of 150 oral presenta-
tions at the MIE 2009, 110 oral presentations
were graded by both chairs and participants/
listeners. Grading results were compared and
we found that in 60% of cases (66 papers)
session chairs gave higher ratings than other
participants of the congress. The highest rat-
ing was 10, and the lowest 3. Only 3 of the
papers received all four grades 10 from the
session chairs. The most common grade given
by chairs of the session was 8 (26.36%), fol-
sessions, subjective impression of
listeners/raters (same country, pro-
fessionally close/distant topic) etc.
It is assumed that the evalua-
tion made by session chairs should
be more accurate in comparison to
the evaluation made by other ses-
sion participants/listeners, as it is the
practice to have experts from the sci-
entific field covering the session top-
ic as chairs. However, it can happen
that among the session participants/
listeners there are those who are
more closely and/or professionally
related to the topic and are important
25
lowed by 7 (20%), 9 (19.32%), 6 (13.18%),
10 and 5 (7.50%), 4 (5%) and 3 (1.14%).
Significant differences in quality assessment
of papers done by chairs and those done by
other participants/listeners are observed.
Conclusion: This work should demonstrate
the importance of introducing universal
(uniform) scale for assessment of articles at
conferences that would provide objective and
relevant assessment, which has not been the
practice. Results obtained using a single stan-
dardized scale can be compared to each other
and thus improve the quality of the articles
and the congress. Future congresses can be
organized in this manner and become leading
events in certain fields of medical science.
Keywords: medical informatics, qual-
ity assessment, paper presentation,
evaluation
for the quality assessment and evalu-
ation of the paper presentation.
2. METHODOLOGY
During four working days of MIE
2009 Conference there were 40 ses-
sions and 259 papers were presented
as oral presentations, poster presen-
tations, tutorials or workshops. This
study presents the result of quality
assessment evaluation done by ses-
sion chairs and other randomly cho-
sen participants/listeners of papers
presentations in 33 sessions.
For this study, and for the first time
vol 18 no 1 MARCH 2010
26 Quality Assesment of Mie 2009 Sarajevo Conference Presentations

since EFMI founding (1976) and MIE Chair's Assessment

congresses, the authors introduced a Track: A Oral Paper Session 1 National eHealth

specially created quality assessment

Chairs: Etienne De Clercq
Asim Kurjak Scientific International Originality Technical Presentation: Sum:

form with five relevant paper quality Building eHealth National Strategies – The Romanian Experience
Presenter: George I. MIHALAS 4 7 6 6 6 29

variables (methodological approach, Primary Healthcare Research Network: The Belgian ResoPrim Recommendations
Presenter: Etienne DE CLERCQ

international influence, scientific The Second Generation Slovenian Health Insurance Card
Presenter: Anka BOLKA 4 6 6 7 6 29

content, language quality, technical On-line Data Exchange in Slovenian Healthcare and Health Insurance
Presenter: Tomaz MARCUN 4 6 6 7 7 30

features), which the first author of Track: B Oral Paper Session 2 Social Networks and the Web
Chairs: Francisco J. Grajales III

this article used in peer-review pro- Adnan Bajraktarević

An Analysis of Personal Medical Information Disclosed in YouTube Videos Created by Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
Scientific International Originality Technical Presentation: Sum:

cess of papers submitted for publica- Presenter: Luis FERNANDEZ-LUQUE

Informal Social Networks amongst Administrative Staff at a University Hospital

9 9 10 10 10 48

tion in the journal Acta Informatica Presenter: Ugur BILGE

Knowledge Sharing for Pediatric Pain Management via a Web 2.0 Framework
9 10 9 9 9 46

Medica (as Editor-in-Chief for last Presenter: Syed Sibte Raza ABIDI

Social Care Informatics – The Missing Partner in eHealth

8 8 8 9 8 41

18 years) (Figure 5). The survey was Presenter: Michael RIGBY 10 10 10 8 9 47

conducted on the principle of ran-

Track: C Oral Paper Session 3 Drugs and Patient Safety
Chairs: Jean Marie Rodrigues
Dragica Milinkic Scientific International Originality Technical Presentation: Sum:

dom sampling of participants of MIE Drug Information Portal in Europe: Information Retrieval with Multiple Health Terminologies

2009 Conference in Sarajevo, where

Presenter: Saoussen SAKJI 5 3 5 5 3 21

Is the “International Classification for Patient Safety” a Classification?

specially trained interviewers (final

Presenter: Stefan SCHULZ 9 9 9 10 10 47

Ontological Representation of Adverse Drug Reactions Using the Foundational Model of Anatomy

year students of medicine and engi- 20. oktobar 2009 Page 1 of 13

neering at the University of Saraje- Average Participant's Assessment

vo) interviewed 33 session’s chairs Track: A Oral Paper Session 1 National eHealth

and 110 participants/listeners of MIE

Chairs: Etienne De Clercq
Asim Kurjak No of Assessors: Avg Scientific Avg International Avg Originality Avg Presentation: Avg Total:

2009 paper presentations in 33 ses-

Building eHealth National Strategies – The Romanian Experience
Presenter: George I. MIHALAS 4 7,00 7,50 7,00 6,25 27,75

sions (of total 40). Data was collect-

Primary Healthcare Research Network: The Belgian ResoPrim Recommendations
Presenter: Etienne DE CLERCQ 4 8,50 8,50 8,75 8,00 33,75

ed, entered into a specially created

The Second Generation Slovenian Health Insurance Card
Presenter: Anka BOLKA 4 7,25 8,75 7,75 8,25 32,00

database, analyzed and then present- On-line Data Exchange in Slovenian Healthcare and Health Insurance
Presenter: Tomaz MARCUN 4 7,75 9,00 8,75 8,75 34,25

ed in large number of different tables Track: D Oral Paper Session 4 Bioinformatics

Chairs: Thomas Vetterlein

and charts (Figure 1). Dušanka Bošković

European Efforts in Nanoinformatics Research Applied to Nanomedicine

No of Assessors: Avg Scientific Avg International Avg Originality Avg Presentation: Avg Total:

In this paper, we will present de- Presenter: Stefano CHIESA 2 9,50

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Health Behaviours Related to Obesity – Trawling the Evidence in the Prospect of Personalised Prevention
10,00 9,50 9,50 38,50

tailed results of the first and last ses- Presenter: Kristina FISTER

GeneMining: Identification, Visualization, and Interpretation of Brain Ageing Signatures

3 8,33 7,67 8,33 7,33 31,67

sion, and although this is a relative- Presenter: Sandra BRINGAY

Machine Learning Analysis of Proteomics Data for Early Diagnosis

4 7,75 6,67 7,50 7,75 29,00

ly small sample, it is methodologi- Presenter: Dmitry DEVETYAROV

Cadiag-2 and Fuzzy Probability Logics

1 5,00 6,00 6,00 6,00 23,00

cally important for two reasons: first Presenter: Pavel RUSNOK 3 8,00 7,50 8,00 7,00 31,50

and last session presenters were re-

Track: A Oral Paper Session 5 HIS
Chairs: Pirkko Nykanen
No of Assessors: Avg Scientific Avg International Avg Originality Avg Presentation: Avg Total:

nowned scientists and researchers in

Zekerijah Šabanović

Single Source Information Systems to Connect Patient Care and Clinical Research

the field of medical informatics with

Presenter: Martin DUGAS 5 4,60 5,00 4,80 6,20 20,60

a relatively large number of cited ref- 22. oktobar 2009 Page 1 of 14

erences in this area; thematic content
of their lectures was covering glob-
al, strategic and methodological fea-
tures in the field of medical informat-
ics.
3. RESULTS
We show detailed compara-
tive evaluation from sessions where
chairs were professionally closely re-
lated to the topic and where present-
ers were relatively younger experts
in the field of medical informatics
(Tables 1,2; Figures 2,3). In the ta-
bles and charts presented, we can no-
tice significant differences in quality
assessment of papers done by chairs
and those done by other participants/
listeners.
Analysis of the evaluation also
showed that in most cases results
match in grading of the scientific
content quality, although it was ex-
pected that “stricter criteria” will be
Figure 1. Sample of evaluation analysis results (sessions 1,2,3 - chairs; sessions 1,4,5 - other participants)
applied by session chairs, since they 5 (7.50%), 4 (5%) and 3 (1.14%) (Fig-
are more referent professionals and ure 4).
experts in both Health Sciences and
related Medical Informatics field. 4. DISCUSSION
From the total of 150 oral pre- One of the most respectable sci-
sentations at the MIE 2009, 110 entists, researchers and physicians
oral presentations were graded by in biomedical literature, which dealt
both chairs and participants/listen- with the concept of quality in gen-
ers. Grading results were compared eral, especially in the field of medi-
(as shown graphically in tables and cine and health, was Avedis Donabe-
graphs), and we found that in 60% dian, author of most quoted defini-
of cases (66 papers) session chairs tion of quality assessment: structure
gave higher ratings than other par- - process - outcome. In his fifty pub-
ticipants of the congress. The high- lished articles in the field of quality
est rating was 10, and the lowest 3. he presents the modern approach to
Only 3 of the papers received all four the transformation of thinking about
grades 10 from the session chairs health systems. Other authors, such
(2 papers in the group 11 and one as Louis, Lohr, Maxwel, Goves in
from the group 16). The most com- their studies promote the importance
mon grade given by chairs of the ses- of evaluation and assessment of qual-
sion was 8 (26.36%), followed by 7 ity in medicine and healthcare. The
(20%), 9 (19.32%), 6 (13.18%), 10 and author of this article is closely spe-

vol 18 no 1 MARCH 2010 

 Quality Assesment of Mie 2009 Sarajevo Conference Presentations 27

Oral Paper Scientific International Originality Presentation Total the session chairs and participants of
We show 1comparative
Session C.A. evaluation
P.A. of C.A.
session’sP.A.
chairs and participants
C.A. P.A. inC.A.
the session,
P.A. which
was closely thematically specific and in which presenters was relatively younger experts in
C.A. P.A. the congress. All grades were sum-
Mihalas 4 7.00 7 7.50 6 7.00 6 6.25
the field of medical informatics. In shown tables and charts we can notice significant 23 27.75 marized and compared. The result-
differences
Bolka in the assessment
4 of quality
7.25 6 of papers presented
8.75 6 in relation
7.75 to tested
6 variables.
8.25 22 32.00 ing data are presented in tables and
Marcun
C.A. 4
– Chair's Assessment 7.75 6 9.00 6 8.75 7 8.75 23 34.25 charts (Tables 1,2; Figures 1.2,3,4).
P.A.
Table– Participant's
1. Session 1:Assessment
National eHealth. Chairs: Etienne De Clercq. C.A. – Chair’s Assessment, P.A. –
Participant’s Assessment
Table 1. Session 1: National eHealth. Chairs: Etienne De Clercq 5. CONCLUSION
Oral The specificity of this work, and
Oral Paper ScientificScientific
International Originality Originality
International Presentation Total
Presentation Total
Paper also we assume its value, is that on
Session 40
Session C.A. P.A. C.A. P.A. C.A.
C.A. P.A.P.A. C.A.
C.A. P.A. C.A. P.A.
1
C.A. P.A. C.A. P.A. C.A. P.A. P.A. the basis of the available literature
Rognoni 9 6.17 9 5.67 9 5.50 9 7.33 36 24.67
Mihalas 4 7.00 7 7.50 6 7.00 6 6.25 23 27.75 we did not find any article which
Hercigonja-Szekeres 9 4.11 9 4.22 9 3.89 9 5.11 36 17.33
Bolka 4 7.25 6 8.75 6 7.75 6 8.25 22 32.00 compared the evaluation of oral pre-
Lessard 9 7.44 9 6.56 9 6.22 9 5.44 36 25.67
Marcun 4 7.75 6 9.00 6 8.75 7 8.75 23 34.25 sentations by the session chairs and
Table 2. Session 40: Learning and education. Chairs: George I. Mihalas, C.A. – Chair’s Assessment, P.A. –
Participant’s Assessment participants of the congress.
Figure 1. Total for Oral Paper Session 1
This work should demonstrate the
retrospective (1, 2, importance of introducing universal
3, 4). Quality con- (uniform) scale for assessment of ar-
trol is a synonym for ticles at conferences that would pro-
quality assessment vide objective and relevant assess-
and is increasing- ment, which has not been the prac-
ly replaced by this tice. Results obtained using a single
term (5, 6). XXII standardized scale can be compared
European Congress to each other and thus improve the
of Medical Infor- quality of the articles and the con-
matics (MIE 2009) gress. Future congresses can be or-
Figure 2.
Figure 2. Total for Oral Paper Session 40
Total for Oral Paper Session 1 took place in Saraje- ganized in this manner and become
Table 2. Session 40: Learning and education. Chairs: George I. Mihalas
vo from August 30th leading events in certain fields of
to September 2nd medical science.
Oral Scientific International Originality Presentation Total
Paper 2009. Presenters of Based on the indicators from the
Session C.A. P.A. C.A. P.A. C.A. P.A. C.A. P.A. C.A.oral P.A. presentations processed survey data (survey forms
40
Rognoni 9 6.17 9 5.67 9 5.50 9 7.33 36
were arranged in 40
24.67
for quality assessment as those used
Gonja- sessions and there during the MIE 2009 Conference in
9 4.11 9 4.22 9 3.89 9 5.11 36 17.33
The most common rating given by the chairs of the session is 8 (26.36%),were
Szekeres followed total
by 7150 pre- Sarajevo) the following could be se-
(20%), 9 (19.32%),
Lessard 9 67.44
(13.18%),9 10 6.56
and 5 (7.50%),
9 4 (5%) and
6.22 9 3 5.44(1.14%),36assentations.
shown
25.67 on the
Chairs of lected:
figure 3.
3 the group sessions •• Articles which will be declared as
and participants of the best and rewarded at the end
Figure 4. Percent of ratings given by the session’s chairs
the congress graded of MIE Conference;
Figure 3. Total for Oral Paper Session 40 the quality of oral •• Certain number of articles for
The results show that in most cases, ratings match in the degree of content presentations.
quality in the Ses- publication in indexed journals in
evaluation of session chairs and participants, although it was expected that the "stricter
sion
criteria" will be among session’s chairs, since they are more referent experts and experts from
chairs grading the field of Medical Informatics
area of Health, and Medical Informatics. was done in 5 cat- of general educational interest to
egories: scientific the general readership and which
4. DISCUSSION
work, international- will carry the appropriate number
ity, support to tech- of ECTS points for the MSc and
One of the most respectable scientists, researchers and physicians in biomedical literature,
nical characteristics PhD students.
which dealt with the concept of quality in general, especially in the field of medicine and
health, was Avedis Donabedian, author of most quoted definition of quality assessment: of work, originality This kind of selection for the best
structure - process - outcome. In its fifty published articles in the field of quality (news), andthepresen-
he gives quality of articles, presented at the
modern approach to the transformation of thinking about health systems. Other authors,Other
tations. such con- congress, can be a sign and stimulus
as Louis, Lohr, Maxwel, Goves in their studies promote the importance of evaluation and
assessment of quality in medicine and healthcare. The author of this gress participants
article is closely to future participants of MIE Confer-
specialized in the field of measuring the quality of medical education, as one evaluated
segment in papers
the in ences, if they have information that
field of quality health care, and in its research uses a modified Lickert scale for measuring the
quality of education (3, 4, 5, 6).
4 categories: scien- the quality assessment, as a specific
Assessment of quality
Figure 4. Percent of papers
of ratings given presented MIE 2009 Conference intific
at thechairs
by the session’s work,
Sarajevo was interna-
a method of assessment of articles, is
process of observation, measurement, comparison and evaluation of the tionality, quality of orally originali- used during the congresses of Med-
presented papers to determine how well is made their presentation at international conferences
cialized
of medical in the fieldAssessment
informatics. of measuring can be the
prospective ty or(news), and presentation.
retrospective (1, 2, 3, 4). Quality They did ical Informatics at the international
quality
control
5. CONCLUSIONis of
a medical
synonym for education,
quality as
assessment one
and is not grade
increasingly the
replaced technical
by this term characteris-
(5, 6). level. Such potential participants will
XXII European
segment in the Congress
fieldofofMedical
quality Informatics
health (MIEtics 2009)ofis the
held in Sarajevo
work. Forfrom August
these reasons, be motivated to make better presen-
The 30th to September
specificity ofinthis2nd 2009.
work, Presenters
and also we of oral
assume presentations
its value, isthiswere arranged
that onpaper
the basis in 40
of the sessions and
available
care, and
there were his research he uses a in we compared gives grades tation of their research results, be-
literature we adidtotalnotof 150.
find Chairs
article ofinthe groupare
which sessions
used and participants
comparison in of the congress
evaluation of oral
modified
marks for Lickert
oral scale
presentations. for measuring
Session chairs grades
presentations by the session chair's and participants of the congress. for
are given scientific
in 5 work,
categories: international-
scientific work, cause they expect it to be published
thework
This quality
shouldofdemonstrate
educationthe(3,importance
4, 5, 6). of introducing
ity, originality (news)scale
universal (uniform) andforthe pre- in one of prestige journals of Medical
assessment of articles at conferences that would4 provide objective and relevant assessment,
Assessment can be prospective or sentation which
which has not been the practice. Results obtained using a single standardized scale can be
were given by both Informatics.
compared to each other and thus improve the quality of the articles and the congress. In this
manner certain congresses can be established in the future and become a leader in certain vol 18 no 1 MARCH 2010
fields
 of medical science.
Based on the obtained indicators of inputted data processing in the survey forms on the
quality assessment of papers presented during the MIE 2009 Conference in Sarajevo it could
28 Quality Assesment of Mie 2009 Sarajevo Conference Presentations

CHAIR 1:_____________________________________________________________________ Bernd Blebel, John Mantas. Medi-

CHAIR 2: _____________________________________________________________________ cal Informatics in a United and
Healty Europe. Proceedings of
MIE Conference. IOS Press, Am-
Dear colleague,
sterdam, 2009.
Paper 1: ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. Masic I, Novo A. Medical Infor-
Paper 2: ___________________________________________________________________________
Paper 3: ___________________________________________________________________________ matics Education in Bosnia and
Paper 4: ___________________________________________________________________________ Herzegovina. AIM, 2005; 13(4):
184-8.
Please score the article according to the following features that can be scored from 1 to 10: 4. Masic Z, Novo A, Masic I, Kudu-
Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 movic M, Toromanovic S, Rama
Scientific and research Contents of paper A, Dzananovic A, Bander I, Ba-
International importance and influence of paper sic M, Guso E, Balta E. Distance
Originality of application and methodology and learning at bimedical facul-
research realization
Quality of Technical features
ties in Bosnia and Herzegovi-
Quality of English language na. Stud Health Technol Inform.
2005;116:267-72.
The score of the article according to the above criteria is: ______ points. 5. Hovenga J. Bricknell L. Current
and Future Trends in Teaching
Date Please give the scoring form to the MIE Signature and Learning. Stud Health Tech-
2009 staff (to be sent to the Speaker
Ready Room “NERETVICA”) nol Inform. 2004;109:131-142.
Figure 5. Quality assessment form for session chairs (based on Acta Medic Informatica peer-review form) 6. Mantas J. Future Trends in Health
Informatics – Theoretical and
REFERENCES Avicena, Sarajevo, 2009: 161-78. practical. Stud Health Technol
1. Mašić I, Toromanović S, Smajkić A. 2. Masic I, Ciric D, Pulja A, Kulasin Inform. 2004;109:114-127.
Kvalitet u zdravstvu i zdravstven- I, Pandza H. Quality assesment
Corresponding author: Prof Izet Masic, MD,
oj zaštiti. U: Socijalna medicina s of Medical education and use PhD. Medical Faculty of University of Sarajevo.
osnovama zdravstvene njege u za- of informarion technology. In. Sarajevo, Cekalusa 90, Bosnia and Herzegovina. E-mail:
jednici i polivalentnoj patronaži. Editors: Klaus Ptere Adlasnnig, imasic@lol.ba

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