Factors Affecting Participation in Emergency Medicine Symposium or Congresses

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify the criteria of participants for taking part in congresses in the field of emergency medicine and to reveal the differences in these criteria on the basis of demographic data. Material and Methods: The study is based on the questionnaires with 19 predetermined questions that were asked to participants. With the questionnaire, sociodemographic characteristics and field of profession were inquired into as well as priorities for attending a congress, the effect of the season and location of the congress on participation. Results: Of the 75 participants, 59% were male and 41% were female. The mean age of the participants was 31.53 years. Participants prefer to go to congresses in the summer (44%) and in the seaside region (44%). The primary objectives for participating in a congress are hearing persons who are experts in their subjects(40%) and following new developments(28%), respectively. Conclusion: Participation in congresses is affected by factors such as sociodemographic characteristics, income status-cost, purposes for attending the congress, the destination and length of the congress and the season in which it was organized. The primary objectives for participating in a congress are hearing persons who are experts in their subjects and following new developments, in that order. A certain number of publications per year may be a criterion for financial support for participation in a congress. There is no significant relationship between income level and participation in congresses.