[Meeting reports in the Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde; value for readers and associations].
OBJECTIVE: To determine the objective of scientific association proceedings in the Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde (NTvG) and whether the objective is met by publication. DESIGN: Interview. SETTING: The editorial office of NTvG MATERIAL AND METHODS: The clinical relevancy of the proceedings published in 1990 and 1991 was determined using selection criteria. 53 (former) secretaries of scientific associations which publish their proceedings in NTvG were interviewed by written questionnaire, and 101 physicians were interviewed by telephone, asking for their opinion on the objective and the use of publishing the proceedings. RESULTS: Of the proceedings (1610 abstracts) published in 1990 and 1991 20% were considered clinically relevant. The opinion of the secretaries of the associations was that the objective of the proceedings is to record medical information and to provide a medical newspaper for the latest reports of the associations, mostly intended for all readers of the NTvG. The secretaries usually correct the abstracts with respect to form and to a lesser extent to informative value. Editorial office selection of the abstracts was not considered desirable, guidelines with regard to writing an abstract of the proceedings were appreciated. More than half of the family physicians read the proceedings, but often considered them too specialised. Half of these thought editorial office selection of the abstracts advisable. About 80% of the specialists read the proceedings, of which the informative value was considered variable. They disapproved of editorial selection. In general physicians read the proceedings very selectively. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical relevancy of the abstracts of the proceedings leaves much to be desired. The objective is to provide a medical record and a newspaper for all readers, but these read the proceedings very selectively. The informative value could be improved. Abstract selection should be in the hands of the associations' secretaries only, but guidelines from the editorial office on writing abstracts are welcomed.