Face to Face or Cyberspace: Are Online Meetings Better?

Before a recent meeting held for the associate and subspecialty editors of The American Journal of Medicine, a number of us discussed why it was necessary to bring our participants physically to the meeting in Arizona, since it involved considerable expense as well as time away from work.

Some argued that a virtual meeting in cyberspace would be just as effective and much less costly. Later, considering the pros and cons of a face-to-face meeting, I did an Internet search seeking information on the advantages and disadvantages of face-to-face meetings. There was a wealth of material on the topic with arguments both pro and con for face-to-face encounters.(1, 2, 3)

The most detailed piece was written by Richard D. Arvey, a professor in the business school of the National University of Singapore.(1) He argued that face-to-face encounters were important for a number of reasons, including the opportunity for participants to engage each other directly and thereby develop important exchange relationships resulting in transparency and trust. Other positive features cited were the ability to evaluate and judge the integrity and competence of the other participants, as well as to engage in sideline conversations. Of course, Arvey also emphasized that preliminary work for the face-to-face meeting would almost always involve a considerable amount of time and preparation using electronic communication.

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— — Joseph S. Alpert, MD, editor-in-chief, The American Journal of Medicine

This article originally appeared in November 2011 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.