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I am sitting in the airport in Hong Kong reflecting on the Don’t Forget the Bubbles 2018 conference (just held in Melbourne)

It’s a paediatric conference, but goes well beyond child health, managing to bring together a rich variety of topics under the banner: “Science and Story”.

I wrote, at a similar phase of my journey home from last year’s event, about why I thought the conference had been such a success.

Don't forget the catering…

— Simon Craig (@DrSimonCraig) August 29, 2018

I’ve struggled to expand on the ‘ingredients’ although Simon’s comment is well made and the ice-cream at the afternoon break was a very popular addition this year!

What has occurred to me as I have reviewed my crowd-sourced note-taking device (i.e Twitter) is that the the balance of ingredients is very important for a successful recipe. There has been churn previously regarding the growth of non-academic conferences in that they are a little soft, and the scientific content is lacking at the expense of ‘grey’ area discussion on wellbeing, leadership and communication. This is too binary a distinction, as is the very concept of something being ‘non-academic’. But it is clear to me that the traditional conference of abstract, followed by abstract, followed by occasional keynote is increasingly less relevant to generation of health care professional who can gain information for a variety of sources now.

I am proposing it is not really the specific content that probably matters, but the proportions of type of information you are given.

Consolidate Practice 

So for #DFTB18 it was fantastic to hear Paediatric Infectious disease consultant (but also emergency medicine clinician) Dr. Mike Starr talk about decision making in childhood sepsis. I didn’t learn anything I didn’t know but it confirmed to me my current practice is on the right lines.

Mike Starr challenging the convention that gut feeling is really gut feeling

Very much agree with this.

Much “perceived" gut feeling is just good clinical acumen

Gut feeling to me is when you make a decision AGAINST the available evidence https://t.co/zDExHXuE5X#DFTB18

— Damian Roland (@Damian_Roland) August 28, 2018

Acquire New Knowledge

However it would be pretty disappointing to spend three days at an international conference to just feel validated. And there was much on offer to learn from. The “Papers that you should have read” session contained some I hadn’t, and at least a couple which will result in practice change.

References described in bubblewrap live session at #DFTB18 are here..https://t.co/t1FiWr22U5

— Ben Lawton (@paedsem) August 29, 2018

Think Differently

However practice change is easy to aspire to but in honesty rarely happens immediately post conference. What is vital, is that you are at least prompted to think differently about things.

Liz Crowe talked on parent grief and challenged us to think about the impact of our words and actions

"Doctors: you have power, far greater than you think.
You can sow that seed, at the very start of your interactions, that the death of a child was not the parent’s fault.”
– @LizCrowe2 #DFTB18

— Damian Roland (@Damian_Roland) August 29, 2018

When we say “poor quality of life,” parents hear “what you have done for the past 16 years was a waste” @LizCrowe2 #wordsmatter #DFTB18

— Charlotte Durand (@char_durand) August 29, 2018

Ross Fisher highlighting our repair process following an error, accident or life event can be more powerful than we think.

https://twitter.com/DrElbyKnits/status/1034697666507096065

Be challenged

And finally change is not easy. Coming away from a conference where you have agreed with everything isn’t helpful. There needs to be a space in which you perhaps disagree, or actively reflect on why you don’t feel comfortable.

Michelle Johnston quite correctly asked us to examine our motivations when telling patients stories. Story telling is powerful, but with that power comes great responsibility.

There is a downside to storytelling in Medicine @Eleytherius #DFTB18
If you are telling a story in Medical circles- you are appropriating another person’s story. Examine your own motives in sharing patient experiences

— Casey Parker (@broomedocs) August 27, 2018

And Warwick Teague took a hard line on the incidence of child mortality secondary to trauma. His message not universally accepted but what could not be disputed was his passion for highlighting a very real issue.

Preventable injuries are preventable. Conversations need to happen. No button batteries. No quad bikes. >145cm in adult seat. 1 supervised child on trampoline. We need to value not just lives but livelihood #dftb18 Warwick Teague pic.twitter.com/aO20btlC5C

— Bea L (@Beattherice) August 28, 2018

I am not sure how the 4 elements should be balanced, 25% each seems reasonable, but it would be useful to know others thoughts and whether I have missed out a key domain!

Thanks again to the organisers of #DFTB18 for striving to improve our practice

Thanks @DFTBubbles
I had a great time. Learnt new things, solidified others and honestly felt your conference re-affirmed my, and I suspect others, vocation despite the current challenges in the healthcare landscape.

See you in London #DFTBUK https://t.co/Udnq5VZns8

— Damian Roland (@Damian_Roland) August 29, 2018