Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed medical educators and learners to adapt to virtual
learning (VL) in an expedited manner. The effect of VL for critical care education
has not yet been evaluated. In a quantitative analysis of survey data and attendance
records, we sought to determine the association of VL with conference attendance and
work-life balance. Attending physicians, fellows, and advanced practice providers
(APP) at a pediatric critical care department at a quaternary children's hospital
participated in the study. Attendance records were obtained before and after the adaption
of a VL platform. In addition, an electronic, anonymous survey to evaluate current
satisfaction and the strengths and weaknesses of VL as well as its impact on work-life
balance was administered. In total, 31 learners (17 attending physicians, 13 fellows,
and 1 APP) completed the survey. A total of 83.9% (26/31) of participants were satisfied,
and 77.4% (24/31) found VL to be similar or more engaging than non-VL. However, 6.5%
(2/31) of learners reported difficulty in using the new platform, 87% (27/31) of participants
supported VL as an effective learning tool, and 83.3% (25/30) reported a positive
impact on work-life balance. Additionally, median monthly conference attendance increased
significantly from 85 to 114 attendees per month (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that a virtual model has advantages for overall attendance
and work-life balance. We anticipate VL will continue to be an integral part of medical
education. Future work evaluating the impact of VL on interdepartmental and interinstitutional
collaborations is needed.
Keywords
pediatric - learning - education - medical education - pandemics
