Webinars for continuing education in oral and maxillofacial surgery: The Austrian experience

Use of online educational resources before and during the COVID-19 era in oral and maxillofacial surgery

Restrictions to traditional face-to-face meetings were mandated by many government authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting the delivery of educational training sessions for maxillofacial surgery trainees in the traditional group manner. An online survey was designed to review what effect the pandemic had on the use and uptake of online educational sources amongst a representative cohort of maxillofacial surgery trainees in higher specialist training. Their attitudes and satisfaction with online resources were considered. The use of live sources such as webinars and pre-recorded materials (e.g. YouTube videos) was investigated. Engagement with online sources was considered prior to, and then during the pandemic. Alterations in the behaviour of trainees were demonstrated, with increasing online resource use seen once the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. Online pre-recorded resource use increased by 26% during the pandemic, with the median number of hours watched per month increasing from 1-5 h to 5-10 h (p < 0.001). Engagement with live online sources (webinars) increased by 52% and median time watched increased from 15 h per month to 10-20 h per month (p < 0.001). Trainees expressed satisfaction with the quality and flexibility of the resources. There was a firmly positive response to live webinars with regard to teaching quality, audio and video quality, ease of access and relevance to training needs. Pre-recorded and live online resources may prove a useful alternative or adjunct to face-to-face teaching when regulations limit or restrict social interactions.

Remote Real-Time Training for Sustainable Cleft Operation in Rural Region of West Africa: Effective Webinar in the COVID-19 Pandemic

INTRODUCTION

The surgical requirement for cleft lip and palate repair remains unmet in many developing areas of the world, including remote regions of Ghana. This article reviews the utilization of Internet education and online consultation for cleft lip and palate surgical training in Sunyani Regional Hospital (SRH), Ghana.

METHODS

The cleft lip and palate treatment was promoted to patients in remote areas of Sunyani, Ghana region, through a charitable outreach program. These basic designs and settings were managed by local participants such as doctors, residents, nurses, and staff in SRH, Ghana.

RESULTS

From November 2014 to December 2020, the authors collaborated in surgical treatment for 84 cases that were diagnosed with unilateral cleft lip, bilateral cleft lip, hard and soft palate cleft, and microstomia. The type of surgery has varied and has included cheiloplasty, palatoplasty, and others. The average scores of esthetic outcome evaluation were nasal form=2.4, symmetry of the nose=2.9, and vermillion border=2.9. Through the program, the surgeons and residents became significantly more proficient at cleft lip and palate surgery. The seminar topics have covered essential and sustainable topics based on SRH's current needs and showed the effectiveness in the current coronavirus disease-19 pandemic situation.

CONCLUSIONS

The shortage of orofacial cleft surgeons working in rural areas like Sunyani, Ghana, remains an obstacle that poses a challenge to any effort to improve health care quality in these rural communities. Sustainable remote education is essential for the training of local cleft surgeons to fill this local need; our collaborative and charitable program could be a recommended education design for cleft surgeons and institutes for their sustainable education.

Virtual Practical Examination for Student Nurse Educators in Health Sciences Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review

(1) Background: There is a gap in the literature that explores challenges and opportunities relating to virtual or e-assessment health science education with particular relevance to the Health Sciences Education practical examination for student nurse educators. Therefore, this review aimed to address this gap and provide recommendations for enhancing identified opportunities and for overcoming identified challenges.; (2) Methods: The review was conducted across Google Scholar, PubMed/MEDLINE, Science Direct, Directory of Open Access Journals, Complementary Index, SCOPUS, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) with the intention of identifying opportunities and challenges presented by e-assessment in the HSE practical examination for student nurse educators during the COVID-19 pandemic.; (3) Results: The following aspects are discussed: (1) opportunities, including benefits, for both student nurse educators and facilitators and opportunities for Nursing Education; and (2) challenges, including issues with accessibility and connectivity as well as the attitudes of both students and facilitators.; (4) Conclusions: Despite challenges which included connectivity issues that led to frustration and stress, the unpreparedness and attitudes of students and facilitators, there are some opportunities that have emerged from e-assessment that can be beneficial to both the students and the facilitators, as well as the institutions. These include a reduced administrative burden, improved teaching and learning, and immediate feedback from facilitators to students and from students to facilitators.

A webinar series to educate applicants about the UK academic foundation programme: a longitudinal cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The UK academic foundation programme (AFP) is a competitive programme for medical graduates and forms the initial stage of the integrated clinical academic pathway. The application is complex and targeted education is beneficial. As online technologies improve, virtual medical education is becoming more common. Currently, webinar education, particularly that of webinar series, are poorly evidenced. An online course was created to investigate the acceptability and effectiveness of webinars for medical education.

METHODS

A six-part, one-hour sessional webinar course was developed following a focus group with academic foundation doctors. A pre- and post-course cross-sectional questionnaire study evaluated participant demographics, webinar opinion and self-rated understanding of the AFP via Google Form (Google, USA). Where applicable a five-point Likert scale (1-Strongly disagree to 5-strongly agree) was utilised and analysis using non-parametric paired statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Medical students (n=303) from 35 UK universities completed the pre-course questionnaire. Most students had not received targeted education on the AFP. They rated webinars useful for education (mean=4.2 s.d. 0.7). After the course, participants (n=66) expressed it was significantly convenient (mean=4.7), effective (mean=4.7) and suitably interactive (mean=4.4) (p<0.001 compared to neutral). Participants preferred short sessions over multiple days to the concept of a full-day event (mean=4.6 vs 3.1, p<0.001). Paired analysis of participants completing both forms (n=47) demonstrates a significant increase in self-rated understanding of AFP content, portfolio building, application process, acute clinical scenarios, interview technique and overall confidence in acquiring an AFP post (p<0.001). Follow-up identified 43 participants who completed the course were successful in their AFP application. This represents 7.8% of all successful AFP applicants in 2021.

CONCLUSIONS

This study evidences an accessible and effective webinar series for AFP education. Comprehensive webinar courses for similar topics and demographics may provide valuable utility in the provision of future medical education.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Ethics requirements were waived for this study by Bristol University Ethics Committee. All participants in this study consented for anonymous use of their data. As such the trial is not registered.

COVID-19: a catalyst for the digitization of surgical teaching at a German University Hospital

BACKGROUND

The summer semester 2020, had to be restructured due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the associated contact restrictions. Here, for the first time, the established lectures in lecture halls and small group seminars could not be conducted in presence as usual. A possible tool for the implementation of medical teaching, offers the use of eLearning, online webinars and learning platforms. At present it is unclear how the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic will affect surgical teaching, how digitization will be accepted by students, and how virtual teaching can be expanded in the future.

METHODS

The teaching, which was previously delivered purely through face-to-face lectures, was completely converted to digital media. For this purpose, all lectures were recorded and were available to students on demand. The seminars were held as a twice a week occurring online webinar. The block internship was also conducted as a daily online webinar and concluded with an online exam at the end. At the end of the semester, a survey of the students was carried out, which was answered by n = 192 students with an anonymized questionnaire. The questionnaire inquires about the previous and current experience with eLearning, as well as the possibility of a further development towards a purely digital university.

RESULTS

There were n = 192 students in the study population. For 88%, the conversion of classes to web-based lectures represented their first eLearning experience. For 77% of all students, the digitization of teaching led to a change in the way they prepare for class. 73% of the participating students are of the opinion that eLearning lectures should continue to be offered. 54% of the students felt that eLearning lectures made more sense than face-to-face lectures. A purely virtual university could be imagined by 41% of the students.

CONCLUSION

The conversion of teaching represented the first contact with eLearning for most students. Overall, the eLearning offering was experienced as positive. Due to the new teaching structure, the way of learning had already changed during the semester. Based on the new eLearning content, the already existing formats can be further expanded in the future. Nevertheless, it turned out that the practical-surgical contents and skills cannot be adequately represented by purely online offers; for this, the development of hybrid practice-oriented teaching concepts is necessary.

Home Field Advantage: Assessing the Geographic Trends of the Plastic Surgery Residency Match during the COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE

In previous plastic surgery residency match cycles, in-person activities at other institutions, such as away rotations, have facilitated matches outside of an applicant's home program or region. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, limited these in-person opportunities. Therefore, we hypothesized that applicants of the 2021 cycle would be more likely to match into programs with which they have existing geographic connections when compared to previous years.

DESIGN

Residency websites and social media accounts were searched for resident names and educational information for those matching in 2021 and 2015 to 2020. Outcomes included proportion of applicants matching at the program affiliated with their medical school ("home program"), or matching in the same state or United States Census Map region as their medical school or undergraduate institution. Subgroup analyses were stratified by program region, incoming resident class size, and Doximity residency reputation ranking.

SETTING

Columbia University (New York).

PARTICIPANTS

For the 2015 to 2020 residency cycles, 963 residents were identified from 78 (95.1%) programs. For 2021, 159 incoming interns were identified from 70 (82.3%) programs.

RESULTS

2021 applicants matched into their home program at higher rates than 2015-2020 applicants (36.0% vs. 24.1%, p  = 0.019). This trend was similar regardless of program region or size. This increase was significant for programs ranked outside of the top 30 (41.5% vs. 26.4%, p = 0.032), but not for the top 30 programs (32.1% vs. 22.3%, p = 0.128). Excluding those who matched at their home program, 2015 to 2020 and 2021 applicants matched in the same state or region of their medical school or undergraduate institution at similar rates (p > 0.05 for all).

CONCLUSIONS

During the COVID-19 pandemic, plastic surgery residency programs matched more applicants from affiliated medical schools than in previous years. This may result from lack of in-person opportunities for applicants at other programs. Alternative relationship-building opportunities may facilitate broader geographic connections in the 2022 cycle.

Integrating webinars to enhance curriculum implementation: AMEE Guide No. 136

Webinars have been used in medical education since 2006 and are now part of the educational offerings of many organizations, including universities, societies, and industry for healthcare trainees and professionals. They are frequently used for continuing medical education (CME) and continuing professional development (CPD) for internal medicine physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and surgeons. There is very limited evidence for the positive impact of these educational events on patient care, however, there is literature that suggests they have educational value for various audiences. Based on our own extensive experience, evaluation data, and key findings over the past decade and a review of the literature, this guide proposes best practices for planning, developing, delivering and evaluating webinars as a part of your curriculum. We propose six phases with steps and questions to help achieve the key purposes of each phase.

Will "Hybrid" Meetings Replace Face-To-Face Meetings Post COVID-19 Era? Perceptions and Views From The Urological Community

OBJECTIVE

To understand the preference and role of 'hybrid' urological meetings compared to face-to-face and online meetings during and after COVID-19 pandemic. The secondary outcome was finding out the most preferable webinar setting.

METHODS

An online global survey was done between June 06 and July 05, 2020, using SurveyMonkey. The target participants were urology healthcare providers. The survey was disseminated via mailing lists and the Twitter platform.

RESULTS

A total of 526 urology providers from 56 countries responded to the survey and it was completed by 73.3%. Participants' overall experience was better in a face-to-face meeting, followed by a hybrid and webinar only meeting. While opportunities for networking was identified as high in face-to-face meeting, online webinars were more cost effective, and learning opportunity and reach of audience was higher for hybrid meetings. For online webinar format, Zoom platform was used by 73% and majority (69%) saw it on their laptop or desktop. The preference was for a 1-hour webinar in the evenings with 3-5 speakers. Urology residents rated face-to-face meetings to have better cost-effectiveness when compared to consultants. Post COVID-19, more than half of all respondents would prefer hybrid meetings compared to the other formats.

CONCLUSION

While there will be a place for face-to-face meetings, COVID-19 situation has led to a preference towards hybrid meetings which is ideal for a global reach in the future. It is plausible that most urological associations will move towards a hybrid model for their meetings.

Working in the era of COVID-19: An organization model for maxillofacial surgery based on telemedicine and video consultation

The worldwide pandemic caused by the COVID-19 outbreak has led to an unprecedented burden on hospital structures, posing new challenges in terms of reshaping healthcare services. At the same time, the so-called 'lockdown' restrictions have decreased overall mobility, thereby challenging the traditional concept of clinical examination. Moreover, the need for security for both patients and healthcare personnel has posed a further limitation to face-to-face meeting. Telemedicine has provided a valuable solution for such issues, allowing the evaluation of oral and maxillofacial surgery patients through technological interfaces, restricting physical consultations to cases with high clinical priority, intercepting suspects, and maintaining contact with discharged patients. Thanks to the experience gained during the previous wave of infections, the purpose of this study was to present a reorganization of clinical services for oral and maxillofacial surgery in order to help cope with the latest COVID-19 resurgence. Using commonly available software for telecommunications and online meetings, the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of the University Hospital of Udine has reshaped the organization of healthcare services, with telemedicine central to the continuity of assistance, while at the same time minimizing the risk of exposure for both patients and operators. Additionally, the high number of patients evaluated through telemedicine improved our ability to define signs and symptoms of diseases using informatic tools, thus allowing the introduction of the concept of 'telesemiology'. During our previous lockdown experience, between March and April 2020, 78 patients were evaluated using teleconsultation. All outpatient examinations were rescheduled and translated into a virtual platform, allowing each patient to undergo evaluation in the most appropriate setting. Special attention was paid to the follow-up of oncological patients. The rehabilitation team represented a crucial element in maintaining contact with more complex patients in this crucial time. This study was based on our previous lockdown experience - a situation that many will be facing again over the coming months. Our hope is that the organizational structure that our department applied during the previous wave of infections may offer other colleagues a solution to facing the current COVID-19 recrudescence.

The Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on Maxillofacial Surgery Training in Portugal: The Resident’s Perspective

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

Webinar during COVID-19 Improves Knowledge of Changes to the Plastic Surgery Residency Application Process

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted residency application process for all specialties, including plastic surgery residency. Almost all plastic surgery residency programs have suspended visiting sub-internship rotations. This study quantifies the impact of a webinar through an analysis of poll questions and a post-webinar survey sent to all registered participants.

METHODS

A dedicated webinar was organized and held by the Harvard Plastic Surgery Residency Training Program. All attendees were asked several poll questions during the webinar. The 192 participants were also sent a post-webinar survey.

RESULTS

The response rate was 68.2% (n = 131). Respondents were more confident about matching into a plastic surgery residency program at the end of the webinar compared with before the webinar (P < 0.001). Respondents who did not have a plastic surgery residency program at their home institution were less confident at the start of the webinar (P = 0.009). In addition, respondents who had not taken time off for research or for other endeavors during or after medical school were less confident about their chances to match at the start of the webinar (P = 0.034).

CONCLUSIONS

An online webinar program increased confidence levels of medical students interested in applying for residency positions in plastic surgery. Residency programs should consider webinars as a method to inform and assist medical students during the upcoming application season.

Evolution of aesthetic surgery in India, current practice scenario, and anticipated post-COVID-19 changes: a survey-based analysis

Background

The declaration of COVID pandemic by the WHO can certainly be seen as a watershed era the world has witnessed in modern times. All non-essential industries and services have taken a back seat including aesthetic medicine. Over the last decade, India has witnessed a steady growth in medical tourism owing to global standards of care and services at a relatively modest cost. The following study was conducted to ascertain the sea change that this pandemic has brought into aesthetic surgeons’ practice, patient management, planning and consultation. This paper throws light on the journey of Indian aesthetic surgery from its infancy to its current presence in the global market as a context of the study. We have also discussed the impact of social media on aesthetic surgeons’ practice, lifestyle and its role as an emerging new method of medical education.

Methods

A questionnaire consisting of 62 questions divided in 3 sections was rolled out to 150 Indian aesthetic surgeons who have been practising either independently in their clinics or are associated with hospitals. A: Pre-COVID practice management and lifestyle; B: life during the lockdown; C: anticipated changes in post-COVID era.

Results

In the pre-COVID era, an average aesthetic surgeon was finely balancing his profession, personal lifestyle, learning, and recreation. The lockdown clamped their practices which lead into a financial drought; despite which, they were able to maintain their productivity by engaging in webinars, reading, and research. The post-COVID times demand an implementation of safety protocols along with changes in set-up, regulating patient traffic, engaging in distant learning through virtual conferences, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle acquired during the lockdown.

Conclusions

India was rightly witnessing a surge in popularity of aesthetic surgery and medical tourism over the last decade. The corona pandemic has definitely hit this escalating growth curve hard, and it will take some time for the demand to recover. Our study revealed the following conclusions: The effect of COVID 19 demands a major change in aesthetic surgeons’ professional practice like limiting consultations, changing hospital floor plan, following COVID testing, and having new safety protocols. Social media is rightly poised to be a major tool for education and marketing as also for recreation and leisure. The role of teleconsultation needs to be reprised and legalised. Webinars and virtual conferences will find more takers in future.

Level of evidence: not ratable.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00238-020-01730-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Approaches to the management of patients in oral and maxillofacial surgery during COVID-19 pandemic

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is correlated with a high risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Therefore, the aim of the review is to collect and discuss aspects of the management of patients in oral and maxillofacial surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to save resources and to avoid unnecessary exposure to infected patients, there is the need to schedule interventions depending on their priority. During the peak of the pandemic, no elective surgery should be performed. Even urgent procedures might be postponed if there is a view to recovery of a COVID-19 patient within a few days. Emergency procedures do not allow any delay.

Specialties with overlap in therapies should have well defined arrangements among each other concerning the treatment spectra in order to avoid redundancy and loss of resources.

Inpatient and outpatient units have to be organized in such a way that the risk of cross-infection among patients is reduced to a minimum. Especially, testing of patients for SARS-CoV-2 is important to detect the infected patients at an early stage. When surgery is performed on COVID-19 patients, adequate personal protective equipment is crucial. There must be negative pressure in the operating room, and aerosol formation must be reduced to a minimum.

In order to address the COVID-19 challenge adequately, significant changes in the infrastructure of outpatient units, inpatient units, and operating rooms are needed. In addition, the demands concerning personal protective equipment increase significantly. The major aim is to protect patients as well as the medical staff from unnecessary infection, and to keep the healthcare system running effectively. Therefore, every effort should be taken to make the necessary investments.

Exploring Adult Learners' Viewpoints and Motivation Regarding Distance Learning in Medical Education

INTRODUCTION

Literature in education and training supports the notion that distance learning (DL) is the most effective mode of learning for health care workers to improve the quality of patient care. However, implementing DL requires pre-assessing learners' perspectives and attitudes for providing better delivery, essential support, and facilities. This study aimed to identify the viewpoints and attitudes of dental graduates toward DL in medical education and their point views of the effectiveness and efficacy of DL tools.

METHODS

A structured, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to registered adult graduates working in government- or private hospitals in a permanent position or for a long term (3 months or more). Data were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

Two-thirds (67.9%) of the participants had previously attended a DL course. The highest ranked items on the participants' views on DL were ease of access, ability to take the course from any location, and be taught from anywhere in the world. Their perception of DL was analyzed in relation to gender and previous exposure to DL.

CONCLUSION

This investigation revealed a positive attitude among graduates on the effectiveness of DL. Most respondents appreciated DL's convenience in terms of time flexibility and online attendance. Residents' attitudes toward DL and DL characteristics are major factors to consider when instituting or planning for DL. Continuous medical education through DL will continue to generate considerable interest as an international movement.