Impact of COVID-19 on pediatric emergency fellowship training in Saudi Arabia

[摘要] ObjectivesTo assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the academic and clinical processes of pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellowship training held by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS).MethodsA cross-sectional, nationwide, survey-based study was conducted between June and December 2020. PEM program directors as well as fellowship trainees were eligible. The collected data were under the following domains: (1) sociodemographic and work-related characteristics; (2) impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient flow and PEM procedures; (3) impact on emergency skills and competence; (4) impact on academic performance; and (5) attitudes toward PEM practice and potential solutions. Monthly reports of PEM visits and procedures were also collected from program directors.ResultsA total of 11 PEM program directors and 42 fellows responded. During the pandemic, the number of total ED visits decreased by 70.1%, ED inpatient admissions fell by 57.3%, and the number of intraosseous need insertion and lumbar puncture procedures fell by 76.7% and 62.3%, respectively; the temporal differences in the median frequencies were statistically significant. The pandemic has influenced the knowledge acquisition and leadership skills of one-third of program directors (36.4% and 27.3%, respectively) and the skills and competence of fellows (31.0%). The majority of directors and fellows showed that online classes/webinars were useful (100% and 95.2%, respectively), and there was no need to extend the current fellowship training to compensate for learning deficits (62.7% and 78.6%, respectively). The importance of dedicated modalities to fill in the training gap increased by 62.5% of program directors and 35.7% of fellows.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic had significant effects on clinical procedures and academic activities in the PEM fellowship program. The impact was consistently perceived across PEM program directors and fellows. Technology-driven solutions are warranted to mitigate the expected learning and clinical deficits due to reduced clinical exposure.

[发布日期] 2023-07-10

[关键词] COVID-19;Medical education;Pediatric;Emergency fellowship