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I have clinic today so won’t be able to tweet more #ASH20 until later (but that I CAN view all sessions later is amazing). As the meeting draws to a close, I wanted to take the opportunity to offer some thoughts about the virtual format. @ASH_hematology 1/
To start, again many #ASHKudos to @StephanieLeeMD and @ASH_hematology for making this a very successful first foray into the virtual meeting world. There are many ways #ASHfromHome could have failed but it was truly well-done. 2/
I’ve read comments from many saying they’ve enjoyed the virtual format and gotten more out of this ASH educationally than they typically do. Of course, everyone also laments not being able to see and catch up with friends and colleagues from around the world. 3/
Things that didn’t suck this year:
1. Not having to sprint to a CAR-T cell session only to be redirected to an overflow room.
2. Being able to pause sessions and go back and capture something I might have otherwise missed. It made tweeting the meeting phenomenally better. 4/
1. Not having to sprint to a CAR-T cell session only to be redirected to an overflow room.
2. Being able to pause sessions and go back and capture something I might have otherwise missed. It made tweeting the meeting phenomenally better. 4/
3. The image quality of screen caps is obviously better than photos of auditoria screens.
4. Being able to view sessions that were posted concurrently, which has always been impossible with non-virtualized meetings.
5. I don’t miss convention center coffee one iota. 5/
4. Being able to view sessions that were posted concurrently, which has always been impossible with non-virtualized meetings.
5. I don’t miss convention center coffee one iota. 5/
6. I got more exercise (other than walking) than typically feasible at ASH.
7. I didn’t have to miss my kids for a full week. (They’re still at ages where they’re relatively fun to be around. Usually.)
8. No travel reimbursement requests to forget to submit. 6/
7. I didn’t have to miss my kids for a full week. (They’re still at ages where they’re relatively fun to be around. Usually.)
8. No travel reimbursement requests to forget to submit. 6/
But like others, I miss aspects of the typical ASH, incl late nights imbibing an adult beverage or two or ... while catching up. I also miss the feeling you get when watching truly disruptive breakthroughs being presented to plenary sessions w 15-20K of your closest friends. 7/
I have a love/hate relationship with poster sessions, but I also miss the serendipity of walking the rows of posters and coming across an answer, or a hypothesis, or a provocation to thought you weren’t necessarily looking for. 8/
I also miss the opportunity to see industry friends in the vendor hall, and will ashamedly admit I don’t hate picking up a cookie while walking amongst the excessive displays pharma puts in their booth spaces. (We all know actual circus acts to attract attn will happen soon.) 9/
So, suffice it to say, I, like others, think we should try to find ways to carry forward some of what we’ve learned with #ASHfromHome so that future ASH meetings maximize their value. 10/
I think virtual content access should remain a permanent part of ASH meetings. But that is easier said than done. It would mean live broadcasting every session from every room in the convention center. Certainly not impossible, but adds undoubtedly costly logistics. 11/
I think the costs would be worthwhile, even if attendance fees incr a small amount. But by offering comprehensive virtual real-time access, hopefully more people (not just physicians and scientists, but also APPs and others) can attend, so that incr $ for the virtualization. 12/
Full virtual access would also permit some to decide to do only #ASHfromHome, thus unburdening participants from costly travel if they wish (more relevant for some groups such as students, residents, fellows, and global attendees). 13/
If #ASH21 and beyond remain available virtually, I would attend in person to avail myself of opportunities to see others, but I would probably watch and tweet many sessions from a comfortable hotel room to take advantage of the content control aspects of watching via the web. 14/
I don’t know to what extent virtualizing ASH in perpetuity wld have on in-person attendance, but if it dropped a bit, that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing (eg, fewer at-capacity sessions and overflow rooms; I’ll take watching on web instead of in an overflow rm any day). 15/
I think the on-demand mini-presentations recorded in lieu of posters this year should also remain part of future meetings. Those who wish to could also make posters to hang in the hall, and there should still be pretzel and questionable beer selections, but ... 16/
... a new category of on-demand only could exist for those who, eg, aren’t able to, or prefer not, to travel to the meeting. Yes, I know this will erode some of the serendipity of poster sessions but if, say, 30% chose on-demand only, the poster sessions will remain massive. 17/
Anyhow, just some thoughts evolving from an awesome #ASH20 #ASHfromHome. I’ll be viewing more sessions & tweeting them as my own notes at later times (I’m glad others find them helpful), but I wish everyone a healthy and safe remainder of this crazy year. SEE you at #ASH21! /fin
