ABSTRACT
NOVEL INTRODUCTION: With the presence of COVID-19 in all human activities, the medical world has faced a radical change in the way that medical practice develops all around the world. A necessary cog in the physician's life is the teaching-learning process that is lived daily in the clinical setting during medical residencies. The new reality that is being contemplated warrants a new way of thinking, acting, teaching, and learning. OBJECTIVE: To identify challenges and opportunities for the physician's formation in medical residencies ever since the onset of the pandemic. AUTHOR'S POSITIONING: One of the essential tools that a human being must have to survive any given crisis is his/her capability to adapt and modify conducts in order to better respond to uncertainty. The system under which physicians with specialties have developed throughout the years was sufficient for that specific reality under which it was first conceived;however, as time went by and with the current emergency, this is no longer efficient nor sufficient. Therefore, it's necessary to analyze the education model and reevaluate the competences required to instruct in a specialist. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical formation, particularly, represents a new opportunity to design, plan and implement the education process with a social responsibility sense and innovation through a new and different approach. In this new proposal, both education and health institutions work collaboratively in the generation of excellent medical specialists, not only in the cognitive aspect, but also, in the human aspect.
ABSTRACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the continuity of education across the world is being supported through e-learning. Healthcare programs especially, require continuing patientcentered training to benefit individuals and society. The objective of this study was to assess the faculty members’ skills to continue educational services through a digital education model at the beginning of the lockdown. The methodology consisted in a quantitative approach descriptive and cross-sectional design. The instrument was a survey with two sections: (1) self-assessment and (2) self-ranking based on the digital education model. The results for 497 participants indicated higher scores on active learning and web conference digital skills. Evaluation is still a competence required to be reinforced by the faculty to incorporate a full transition into online learning. There seems to be an agreement about faculty readiness to implement different active learning strategies, despite being in a distance education model. Implications for practice: · University leaders welcomed the self-assessment that faculty members performed on digital skills as it allowed them to adapt the training programs and designate staff teams to support the educators once classes restarted. Educators implementing a digital education model should consider a planned and structured educational solution that is beyond the distance between learners and teachers, but an engaging environment for learning incorporating different technologies and active pedagogies. © 2021
ABSTRACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the continuity of education across the world is being supported through e-learning. Healthcare programs especially, require continuing patient-centered training to benefit individuals and society. The objective of this study was to assess the faculty members' skills to continue educational services through a digital education model at the beginning of the lockdown. The methodology consisted in a quantitative approach descriptive and cross-sectional design. The instrument was a survey with two sections: (1) self-assessment and (2) self-ranking based on the digital education model. The results for 497 participants indicated higher scores on active learning and web conference digital skills. Evaluation is still a competence required to be reinforced by the faculty to incorporate a full transition into online learning. There seems to be an agreement about faculty readiness to implement different active learning strategies, despite being in a distance education model. Implications for practice: University leaders welcomed the self-assessment that faculty members performed on digital skills as it allowed them to adapt the training programs and designate staff teams to support the educators once classes restarted. Educators implementing a digital education model should consider a planned and structured educational solution that is beyond the distance between learners and teachers, but an engaging environment for learning incorporating different technologies and active pedagogics.
ABSTRACT
Purpose : To report the ophthalmological care management of cataract patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in an eye healthcare system in Mexico. Methods : A retrospective observational study was designed to review the surgical management of cataract patients from March 1st to December 31, 2020, compared to the same period from 2019. We classified surgical management in three categories: urgent, emergent, and elective procedures, based on the the Mexican Society of Ophthalmology (SMO) and our Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (UVEH). Three eyecare centers participated in this study. The main outcome measure was the rate of reduction in urgent and elective surgeries performed. Priority was given to patients with retinal disease, glaucoma, brunescent cataracts, pediatric patients, and patients with visual acuity (≤ 20/200). Routine preoperative RT-PCR testing for SARS-COV-2 was required for all patients. Results : 240 cataract surgeries were performed in the 2020 period compared to the 643 surgeries performed in the same period of the previous year (-62.7% in 2020 compared to 2019, p < 0.0001). (Fig. 1) The mean age of operated patients was 66.5±11.81 years in 2019 and 66.2±12.06y in 2020. During the studied period, thirteen cataract surgeries (5.4%) were suspended in our healthcare system due to positive preoperative results for SARSCoV-2 by nasopharyngeal PCR. Conclusions : The implementation of strict protocols in our non-COVID-19 units allowed for surgical management of cataract patients. As expected, a significant reduction in the amount of cataract surgeries was recorded during the SARS-COV-2 outbreak. Preoperative PCR testing for all patients who undergo cataract surgery in conjunction with strict hospital protocols might allow for safe surgical management of cataracts. From our healthcare university system, a tertiary referral hospital was converted into a COVID-19 unit in order to tackle the challenges of the pandemic. A second tertiary hospital increased its capacity to attend to the needs of all surgical and clinical necessities of nonCOVID-19 patients. Lastly, the specialized ophthalmological unit (CAM) reopened in August, with restricted capacity, restructuration of areas, staff rotation, COVID-19 testing of staff and strict sanitary precautions.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: In the context of the pandemic, many activities of academic life in universities and medical schools were put on hold, due to the immediate need to focus on offering quality care to infected patients and ensuring academic continuity. However, as this crisis continues and the virus spreads, other needs such as continuous professional development reemerge on the horizon of priorities. The objective of this implementation was to design a new format for continuous professional development based on the open chair model so that it would be relevant in the context of the pandemic. Methods: The offer of continuous professional development was studied, and problems were identified that make it less relevant: lack of value offer, limited to university professors, programs with limited influence on geographic location, and focus on exposing theoretical content. Results: A proposal was designed that offered relevant content, close exhibitors, expanded scope and reflective aligned objectives. A total of 9,873 people have participated in the cycle synchronously, in 73.5 h of programming. Two hundred and sixteen speakers were received where 16% gave an international perspective to the discussion. Discussion: This crisis has revealed the need for training institutions to participate as an active agent for the well-being of the community. As spaces like this grow and are placed at the service of the community, we can ensure the legacy of the profession through training for reflection, and the promotion of a culture of transformation. © 2020 Elsevier España, S.L.U.