[Webinars for ENT specialists in Germany during the Lockdown phase of the COVID-19 pandemic 2020/2021]. / Webinare für HNO-Fachärzte in Deutschland während der Lockdown-Phase der COVID-19-Pandemie 2020/2021.

INTRODUCTION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, webinars are one of the few opportunities to continue CME training to a large majority of ENT doctors. However, experiences with the quality of this digital form of education is still limited. METHODOLOGY: In this study, six webinars for ENT specialists during the second lockdown in Germany (January to March 2021, provider Zoom) were evaluated. The quality control was performed by participants and speakers using special quality questions. School grades (1-6) were used for the evaluation. Answers were statistically evaluated. RESULTS: On average, 1108 participants attended the six webinars. 330 ENT doctors answered the surveys. The return of the questionnaires was 30.2%, that of the speakers 100%. Eight of the nine questions asked received school grades better than 2.0 on average. The speakers needed an average of 12.8 hours to prepare the webinar. The cost per webinar was about 3.50 €. CONCLUSIONS: Webinars have become an effective form of CME-training for ENT doctors in Germany. They can be organized quickly for a large number of participants, are less expensive and environmentally benefical. Webinars might have an important place in CME-training in the future.

Webinar-based continuing medical education in otorhinolaryngology during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: Reliance on webinars for continuing medical education (CME) has increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we aimed to evaluate the teaching methods used in these webinars. DESIGN: Retrospective, longitudinal study. SETTING: 20 CME-approved webinars, conducted March-December 2020 in Germany, and lasting 2.25 hours each. PARTICIPANTS: Otorhinolaryngologists pursuing CME credits. INTERVENTIONS: Postwebinar participant assessments of the speaker, effects on practical work, desired scientific content, technical quality, interactions, attention and future training behaviour. RESULTS: On average, 780 participants joined each webinar. The mean survey response rate was 35% (n=282). When asked how well the speaker had mastered the content, 38% responded 'very well', 44% responded 'well', 14% indicated 'satisfactory' and 4% chose 'sufficient'. The frequency of webinars was considered appropriate by 92%, too high by 4% and too low by 4% of participants. The measured attention of the participants was 90%. After the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, 68% of participants preferred online teaching. The average costs per participant were €3.50 (about $4.25 or £3.15) per webinar. CONCLUSIONS: Although the pandemic context likely influenced the results, we conclude that periodic ear, nose and throat webinar training during COVID-19 in 2020 was an effective alternative delivery method. We found high attention rates, high levels of participant satisfaction and low costs. Evaluations and re-evaluations will be necessary to adapt teaching concepts successfully and ensure high levels of teaching and learning efficiency.