Daily activities and training experience of urology residents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia: A nationwide survey.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the training experience of urology residents in Indonesia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a web-based questionnaire (SurveyMonkey) involved all registered urology residents in Indonesia. The questionnaire was structured in Bahasa Indonesia, consisted of 28 questions, and divided into three sections: Demographic characteristics, current daily activities, and opinions regarding training experiences during the COVID-19 outbreak. The survey was distributed to all respondents via chief of residents in each urology center from May 26, 2020 to Jun 2, 2020. RESULTS: Of the total 247 registered urology residents, 243 were eligible for the study. The response and completeness rate for this study were 243/243 (100%). The median age of respondents was 30 (24-38) years old, and 92.2% of them were male. Among them, 6 (2.5%) respondents were confirmed as COVID-19 positive. A decrease in residents' involvement in clinical and surgical activities was distinguishable in endourological and open procedures. Most educational activities were switched to web-based video conferences (WVC), while others opted for the in-person method. Smart learning methods, such as joining a national/international speaker webinar or watching a recorded video, were used by 93.8% and 80.7% of the respondents, respectively. The respondents thought that educational activities using WVC and smart learning methods were effective methods of learning. Overall, the respondents felt unsure whether training experience during the COVID-19 pandemic was comparable to before the respective period. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected urology residents' training experience. However, it also opened up new possibilities for incorporating new learning methodologies in the future.

Assessing webinar outcomes for health professionals: a perspective from Indonesia during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

PURPOSE: With the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health institutions and hospitals are increasingly relying on e-learning for continuing education. However, in many countries there is still limited data on the effectiveness of online learning particularly in the healthcare field. This study aims to evaluate whether webinar as a form of online educational intervention is satisfactory and effective for the continuing education of health professionals in Indonesia. METHODS: We collected participants' demographic information including health profession, place of work, work unit, and year of graduation. There were six independent webinars included in this study. Webinar outcomes included satisfaction and learning scores. Regarding satisfaction, participants were told to complete a satisfaction survey and asked whether they would recommend the webinar to their colleagues. Regarding learning, information on their mean pre-test and post-test scores was collected. RESULTS: A total of 3,607 health professionals were enrolled, with the highest participation in webinars about emergency cases and COVID-19 management. The response towards satisfaction was overwhelmingly positive. In all six webinars, post-test scores were statistically significantly higher than pre-test scores. Recently graduated physicians scored higher in learning than senior physicians, while place of work and work unit did not significantly affect the scores. CONCLUSION: The use of webinar for health professionals training in Indonesia was well-received amid the ongoing pandemic. In the future, health institutions and teaching hospitals should optimize the implementation of webinar training as it is associated with low cost, high flexibility, and less time commuting.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Urology Practice in Indonesia: A Nationwide Survey.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on urology practice in Indonesia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study using web-based questionnaire (Survey Monkey), which was distributed and collected within a period of three weeks. All practicing urologists in Indonesia were sent an e-questionnaire link via E-mail, WhatsApp Messenger application, and/or short message service, and the chief of residents in each urology centre distributed the e-questionnaire to urology residents. RESULTS: The response rate was 369/485 (76%) among urologists and 220/220 (100%) among urology residents. Less than 10 percent of the responses in each section were incomplete. There are 35/369 (9.5%) of urologists and 59/220 (26.8%) of urology residents had been suspected as COVID-19 patients, of whom seven of them were confirmed to be COVID-19 positive. The majority of urologists (66%) preferred to continue face-to-face consultations with a limited number of patients, and more than 60% of urologists preferred to postpone the majority (66%) or all elective surgery. Most urologists also chose to postpone elective surgery in patient with COVID-19-related symptoms and patient who required post-operative ICU-care. Urologist and urology residents reported high rates of using personal protective equipment, except for medical gowns and N95 masks, which were in short supply. Several uro-oncology surgeries were considered to be the top priority for Indonesian urologist during COVID-19 epidemic period. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a decline in urology service in both outpatient clinic and surgery services with uro-oncological procedure as a priority to conduct.