CIM: What do you think of your colleague Dietmar Abetes?
Angela Hemme: I like him, he’s a likeable, genuine guy in his middle years. Unfortunately, he suffers from diabetes.
What roles has he fulfilled for you?
Dietmar is an avatar who was first used as a virtual patient in further training for doctors and included in the diabetes lecture in the year 2000. A concept thus emerged that ensured the core messages of a new anti-diabetic drug could be put across. The participants were able to contribute on certain topics and become actively involved in shaping information modules. Ultimately, a work series with 200 events came out of it.
In your opinion, does the balancing act between serious science and entertainment work?
Learning should be fun, and the knowledge acquired needs to be fixed firmly in the memory. Dietmar Abetes has engaged the participants in a winning way on an emotional level, yet still gets the scientific content across.
So are concepts that engage the emotions truly compatible with pharmaceutical codes of ethics?
Yes, because the primary focus is on conveying knowledge to the target group in a methodologically and didactically sound way, presenting it as interestingly as possible and ensuring it is always code compliant.
Do millennials want more or fewer live events in future?
Digital formats permit learning on demand tailored to suit different requirements. Nevertheless, live events, often supported by digital tools or artificial intelligence, will always play an important role. After all, this target group, too, requires time and space for direct face-to-face exchanges that engage the emotions.
Thank you, Ms Hemme.