Synopsis of Proceedings of the First Meeting of the Council On Medical Television

Synopsis of Proceedings of the First Meeting of the Council On Medical Television

On October 15 and 16, at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, the Council held its first formal meeting. Some 125 registrants, representing key individuals in all phases of medical communications, participated. In addition to Council members, numerous observers were sent by medical schools and other organizations.

The meeting opened with a keynote address by Arthur S. Flemming, Secretary, Department of Health, Education and Welfare. A closed-circuit TV link carried Secretary Flemming's address from his Washington office to the main auditorium of the Clinical Center at NIH. The Secretary emphasized that the greatest weakness in the fields of medical care and preventive medicine lies in the provisions for continuing the education of practicing physicians and expressed the hope that "your discussions will result in an action program to transmit scientific developments rapidly to the practicing physician." He was followed by a second keynote speaker, C ' R. Carpenter, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Division of Academic Research and Services, Pennsylvania State University. Professor Carpenter provided excellent evidence that medical television, now in its infancy, can learn much from the extensive experience accumulated in using television for general education. Edward Stanley, Director of Public Affairs for the National Broadcasting Company, who directed the development of "Continental Classroom," was also scheduled to address the Council; but an acute illness prevented his attending.

After the keynote addresses, Richard H. Orr, M.D., Executive Director of the Institute for Advancement of Medical Communication, explained how the background material compiled by the Council staff was designed to focus the meeting and result in productive deliberations. Staff work was presented by Frank Garvin, Executive Secretary of the Council, and John Mackenzie, Project Director. Mr. Garvin summarized the preliminary findings of a study of medical school television installations and programs; Mr. Mackenzie outlined some of the general principles applicable to designing televised postgraduate courses.

In the afternoon of the first day, the participants divided into three groups. Each group discussed one of the staff-prepared "model" plans for utilizing (I) open-circuit (2.) closed-circuit and (3) "private" or coded telecasts to present formal postgraduate courses.

Following the afternoon group discussions, Council Members and observers attended a cocktail-buffet as guests of Skiatron Electronics and Television Corporation.

At 9 pm of the same day, ad hoc study committees held open hearings on three areas of needs disclosed by the staff's study of television in medical schools: (I) equipment development, (2) personnel training, and (3) financial support.
On the morning of October i6, Murray C. Brown, M.D., Council Chairman Pro Tem, called for the moderators of each of the discussion groups and the chairmen of the ad hoc committees to report briefly on the previous afternoon and evening sessions so that the participants might have an idea of what went on in sessions other than the ones they elected to attend. All six reports were amended on the floor as necessary and then accepted by the Council as correct summaries of the proceedings; each session was attended by approximately one-third of the registrants.

COUNCIL ACTIONS

The next order of business was the election of an executive body to represent the Council in policy matters until the next Council meeting and to guide and assist the staff in implementing the recommendations of the Council. Until the organization of the Council is formalized, it was decided to elect an Interim Executive Committee. Murray C. Brown, M.D., Thomas Coleman, Felton Davis, Jr., Edwin Foster, Ed. D., Herbert Hahn, and Charles E. Nyberg (the six council members who had been serving informally in the same capacity since the Council was conceived in March, 1959) and Joseph E. Markee, Ph.D., David S. Ruhe, M.D., Capt. Robert V. Schultz, MC, USN, Marion B. Sulzberger, M.D., and Frank M. Woolsey, M.D., were elected to this committee.

The recommendations of the Council were as follows:

1. That additional members for the Council be recruited from all elegible individuals, institutions and organizations.

2. That the Newsletter be continued and its frequency of publication or number of pages be increased.

3. That the study of television in medical schools be continued and broadened to include television facilities used for medical education in other than medical schools.

4. That the Council should support and otherwise aid appropriate petitions to the FCC, @hen such action is required.

5. That information on the provisions of Title VII of the National Defense Education Act be provided in the Newsletter.

6. That the full Council meet again next spring at a time and place to be designated by the Interim Executive Committee.

7. That the Interim Executive Committee should implement the recommendations of the Council and provide policy guidance to the Council Staff until the next full Council meeting.
8. That this committee also draw up By-Laws for the Council, including rules concerning membership eligibility, and elect new members to the Council as it sees fit.