Objective: To introduce the results of a cost-benefit analysis comparing an office-based low-cost technique for producing research posters versus conventional methods.
Study design: Cost-benefit analysis.
Methods: The average cost for manufacturing a 4' x 6' poster using university-based and commercial reprographic centers (from 10 different institutions and cities) was determined through a phone survey. The total number of posters (1248) presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Annual Meeting from 1995 through 1999 was used to calculate and subsequently compare the total cost of generating posters using conventional versus our low-cost method. A detailed description of this technique (low-cost) is also offered.
Results: The total printing costs for this meeting using the commercial or university-based services was $294,000 and $268,000 versus approximately $11,000 with our method. Esthetically, our technique is satisfactory and difficult to distinguish from standard methods from the typical poster-viewing distance.
Conclusions: Given the current medical economic environment, the cost disparity between conventional and "low-cost" poster production, the esthetic acceptability of both, and the relative (compared with oral presentations) lack of scientific impact, we propose that the present technique is an extremely pragmatic option for poster production.