Effective Learning in Virtual Conferences: The Application of Five Principles of Learning

Evaluation of a Course to Teach Medical Students Latent Hazard Identification in the Operating Room

INTRODUCTION

To improve situational awareness in the operating room (OR), a virtual online operating room of hazards (ROH) with deliberately placed risks was created. We hypothesized that subjects first participating in the virtual online ROH would identify more hazards during an in-person ROH exercise in a physical OR than those in the control group who only received didactic training.

METHODS

We conducted a randomized controlled trial at a major academic medical center, enrolling 48 pre-clinical medical students with no previous OR exposure during their classes. Control and experimental group subjects participated in a brief, online didactic orientation session conducted live over Zoom (Zoom Video Communications, Inc., San Jose, CA) to learn about latent hazards in the OR. Experimental group subjects further interacted with a virtual online operating ROH in which latent hazards were present. The fraction of deliberately created latent hazards placed in a physical, in-person OR identified by subjects was calculated.

RESULTS

Experimental group subjects identified a significantly larger fraction of the created hazards (41.3%) than the control group (difference = 16.4%, 95% CI: 11.3% to 21.4%, P < 0.0001). There was no difference in the number of non-hazards misidentified as hazards between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Participation in the virtual online environment resulted in greater recognition of latent operating room hazards during a simulation conducted in a physical, in-person OR than in a didactic experience alone. Because creating an in-room experience to teach the identification of latent hazards in an OR is resource-intensive and requires removing the OR from clinical use, we recommend the virtual online approach described for training purposes. Adding items most misidentified as hazards is suggested for future implementation.

A Novel Approach to the Room of Errors (ROE): A Three-Dimensional Virtual Tour Activity to Spotlight Patient Safety Threats

BACKGROUND

Live simulation-based activities are effective tools in teaching situational awareness to improve patient safety training in healthcare settings. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced the discontinuation of these in-person sessions. We describe our solution to this challenge: an online interactive activity titled the "Virtual Room of Errors." The aim of this activity is to create an accessible and feasible method of educating healthcare providers about situational awareness in the hospital.  Materials and Methods: We applied existing three-dimensional virtual tour technology used in the real estate sector to a hospital patient room with a standardized patient and 46 intentionally placed hazards. Healthcare providers and students from our institution accessed the room online through a link where they independently navigate, and document observed safety hazards.  Results: In 2021 and 2022, a total of 510 learners completed the virtual Room of Errors (ROE). The virtual ROE increased annual participation in the activity, as compared to the in-person Room, and demonstrated learner satisfaction.  Conclusions: The virtual ROE is an accessible, feasible, and cost-effective method of educating healthcare workers on situational awareness of preventable hazards. Furthermore, the activity is a sustainable way to reach a larger number of learners from multiple disciplines, even as in-person activities resume.

The Utility and Educational Impact of a Virtual Webinar to Deliver an International Undergraduate Cardiovascular Conference

INTRODUCTION

Conferences are an important avenue for dissemination of knowledge, research and provide networking opportunities for career development. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted adoption of virtual platforms for delivery of these conferences. The aim of the study was to determine the utility and educational impact of a student-led virtual webinar to deliver an undergraduate cardiovascular conference compared to a traditional in-person conference.

METHODS

We conducted a two-day virtual conference using the Zoom platform in June 2021. The conference consisted of cardiology subspecialty lectures, and workshops were conducted by a junior doctor, senior cardiology trainees and consultants. The conference also outlaid a virtual poster hall and oral presentation session while networking opportunities were encouraged using breakout rooms and poster hall chat function. A 38-item self-administered online questionnaire was designed and disseminated at the end of the conference to all attending delegates. All data analysis and data visualisation strategies were conducted on R statistical programming.

RESULTS

Eight-hundred and forty students from 55 countries attended the event. Four hundred and ninety participants (58.5% response rate, 55.9% female) completed the questionnaire. Factors such as weekend conference (84.9%), student-led or organised (84.1%), environmental/sustainable (82.3%), appropriate level for me (81.5%) and comfort to present (80.8%) were deemed to be at least equal to traditional in-person conference. The conference also increased participants' interest, their core cardiology knowledge and improved their critical analysis and basic echocardiography skills [median 4 (IQR 3-5) for all parameters]. Overall, participants also found it easy to use the virtual platform [median 5 (IQR 5-5)] and easier to ask questions compared to in-person conferences [median 5 (IQR 4-5) vs median 4 (IQR 3-5), p < 0.001].

CONCLUSION

Our virtual conference provided opportunities to students that the COVID-19 pandemic would have otherwise affected; however, its utility and educational impact will need to be assessed within its individual context of delivery.