Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: To collaborate and share medical knowledge between US and Caribbean physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic via a free online continuing medical education (CME) series. Method: This was a multi-institution collaborative effort between the Southern Regional Area Health Education Center and Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, both located in North Carolina, USA, and its Caribbean partners, the Guyana Medical Council and Ministry of Health, and the University of the West Indies Medical Alumni Association, Jamaica. The lecture series ran from July 2021 to October 2022. The Zoom (Zoom Video Communications Inc., San Jose, CA, USA) meeting platform was used for the monthly lectures on the fourth Thursday between 7 and 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Results: Analysis of program data from July 2021 through October 2022 (excluding December 2021) found 1,105 unique individuals engaged in the 15 continuing education sessions. The series had a cumulative total of 2,411 participants, with a mean session participation of 161 and a range of 94 to 299 participants per lecture. An outcome survey assessing the reasons for attendance identified that the most significant factors in their participation in the series were: a) the quality of educational content (83.21%), b) the ease of access and Zoom platform (81.76%), and c) the lectures being offered at no cost (61.31%), and 80.84% gained new medical knowledge leading to practice changes. Conclusion: The Internal Medicine Learning Collaborative (IMLC) model can be easily replicated by following the steps outlined. It overcomes barriers such as travel and quarantine restrictions and is cost-effective to initiate and maintain. It allows physicians with access to resources and specialty training in the United States to share medical knowledge with colleagues in the developing world where such access may be limited, thus promoting health care and continuing education activity in their respective regions using freely available technologies.
摘要:
目的:在COVID-19大流行期间,通过免费的在线继续医学教育(CME)系列,在美国和加勒比海地区的医生之间进行合作和分享医学知识。方法:这是南部地区健康教育中心和CapeFearValley医疗中心之间的多机构合作努力,都位于北卡罗来纳州,美国,和它的加勒比伙伴,圭亚那医学委员会和卫生部,西印度群岛大学医学校友会,牙买加。系列讲座从2021年7月到2022年10月。TheZoom(ZoomVideoCommunicationsInc.,圣何塞,CA,USA)会议平台用于东部标准时间(EST)的第四个星期四晚上7点至8点的每月讲座。结果:对2021年7月至2022年10月(不包括2021年12月)的计划数据进行的分析发现,有1,105名独特的个人参与了15次继续教育课程。该系列共有2,411名参与者,平均每节课有161人参加,每节课有94到299人参加。评估出勤原因的结果调查发现,他们参加该系列活动的最重要因素是:a)教育内容的质量(83.21%),b)易用性和变焦平台(81.76%),c)免费提供的讲座(61.31%),80.84%获得了新的医学知识,导致实践变化。结论:通过遵循概述的步骤,可以轻松复制内科合作学习(IMLC)模型。它克服了旅行和检疫限制等障碍,启动和维护具有成本效益。它允许在美国获得资源和专业培训的医生与发展中国家的同事分享医学知识,因为这种机会可能受到限制。从而利用免费提供的技术促进各自地区的医疗保健和继续教育活动。