TurningPoint Case Study

American Society of Anesthesiologists

BACKGROUND

The American Society of Anesthesiologists is the professional organization of physicians who deliver anesthesia and pain care to patients. Founded in 1905, the association now has over 40,000 members who gather once a year for an annual meeting. During the 2009 conference, over 15,000 attendees gathered during a six day period.

For the past 100 years, the ASA has conducted in-person voting on bylaws, policies and administrative procedures with the use of booklets containing one inch by three inch pieces of paper. The voting members of the ASA would then write responses to questions, entering in "yes" or "no" answers. While the ASA had previously investigated an alternative means of processing votes, the group never ran into any significant problems that deemed an investment in electronic equipment.

THE CHALLENGE

In 2008, the annual conference was held in Orlando, FL. When the senior staff leadership team arrived to set up for the meeting, the room in which delegate voting would take place was square. The team had planned for a rectangular room, creating a specific arrangement for each state's delegation. At the last minute, Manager of Governance, Susan Singer and her team had to readjust the seating arrangements to fit the room.

"It doesn't sound like a big deal, but we had to cram hundreds of people into a room that was filled with laptops, computer cords, bags, tables and chairs - making it nearly impossible to move," said Singer. "The tellers collecting the voting booklets were unable to get down the aisles. That was the straw that broke the camel's back."

THE SOLUTION

After the 2008 conference, Singer and her team looked for ways to expedite voting without having to compromise the ballots getting to the tellers. With the aid of the ASA's business analyst and technology committee, the team investigated different options. As Singer soon found out, most options involved using the Internet or telephone.

Having previously unsuccessful experiences with hotel Internet and phone services, depending on either of the two for voting was a risk the ASA was not willing to take. Further investigation led to audience response - the only system that was portable, reliable and did not charge by the connection. After looking at five different companies, Turning Technologies was chosen to provide audience response for the 2009 annual meeting.

"It was a combination of service and price that truly made the decision for us. How easy it was also came into play. When we implemented it at the meeting, our attendees had no problems using the system at all. Even collecting the devices at the end of the meeting was a snap. Only one keypad was 'missing' but was found within minutes," according to Singer.

CONCLUSION

The 2009 meeting was highly successful, saving time and paper normally spent with tabulating ballots. Results of voting were instantly calculated and displayed on-screen in real-time. At the conclusion of the meeting, the delegates were asked to vote on one final question, "Should the House proceed with electronic voting moving forward?" The results came in 260 for "yes" and 13 for "no."

"I think the results of the last question speak for themselves. Our delegates are not shy about voicing their opinions - we saw many happily walking around with the lanyards and keypads around their necks. We definitely plan on using the system going forward," said Singer.

For more information about purchasing or renting Turning Technologies' audience response systems for your organization, contact us at 866-746-3015.