Kee Hyuck Lee, et al: Implementation of a Videoconferencing System between Multiple Family Medicine Departments that this system was helpful not only for the residents but also for the staff members in obtaining the latest knowledge in various areas. Residents were able to learn and receive feedback from residents and staff members of other hospitals. Because of these results, joint videoconferencing has been sustained between three hospitals. Despite these positive results, it is undesirable to depend entirely on joint videoconferencing since each hospital has unique issues and cases that might require more specific medical education. KNUHFM has added joint videoconferences to its own conferences which include topic review on Wednesday during lunchtime, case conferences on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, and journal review, book reading and obesity and anti- smoking education on Tuesday afternoons. Some improvements also need to be made to enhance the conferences, including the quality of the audio system, the stability of the videoconferencing system and the frequency of active discussions among hospitals. 2. Equipment Issues General web cameras are sufficient for small-scale conferen- ces in which two or three people participate and watch the presentation on a computer screen. However, web cameras are not appropriate for large-scale conferences in which more than ten people participate and speakers make presentations from a podium. Cameras used for large conferences should be remotely controllable, rotate 180 degrees, have high resolution, move Korean J Fam Med Figure 6. Video conferencing server-client network. up and down 90 degrees, and be freely zoomed in and out to transfer a realistic conference atmosphere to remote locations. Cameras that we used for joint videoconferences fulfilled these requirements. The audio system is an important element in videocon- ferencing. Slight decreases in the quality of the image did not cause major inconvenience, but low sound quality led to communication difficulties and decreased concentration on the videoconference. Personal headsets or general speakers connected to computers are good enough for small-scale video conferences. However, because general speakers and microphones can produce howling and echo effects, which degrade the quality of the videoconference, they are not appropriate for large-scale conferences in which many participants may speak freely at once. Therefore, an echocanceler that eliminates echo effects and howling should be used for larger conferences. Generally, echocancelers for videoconferences are expensive, costing more than 1 million Korean won. We made an effort to build an affordable, cost effective conference model. After researching our options, we decided that we could purchase an echocanceler (XING) at 240,000 Korean won. In conclusion, joint videoconferencing between multiple family medicine departments is feasible, satisfactory and useful for continuing medical education, especially when the participating family medicine departments lack the resources to hold regular conferences on their own. We expect that more family medicine Vol. 32, No. 5 Jul 2011 | 315