Dubai Medical Journal (Mar 2023)
Vascular e-Learning in the MENA Region during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Nikolaos Patelis,
- Sean Matheiken,
- Theodosios Bisdas,
- Zaiping Jing,
- Jiaxuan Feng,
- Matthias Trenner,
- Paulo Eduardo Ocke Reis,
- Stephane Elkouri,
- Alexandre Lecis,
- Dirk Le Roux,
- Mihai Ionac,
- Marton Berczeli,
- Vincent Jongkind,
- Kak Khee Yeung,
- Athanasios Katsargyris,
- Efthymios Avgerinos,
- Dimitrios Moris,
- Andrew Choong,
- Jun Jie Ng,
- Ivan Cvjetko,
- George A. Antoniou,
- Phillipe Ghibu,
- Alexei Svetlikov,
- Harm P. Ebben,
- Hubert Stepak,
- Sviatoslav Kostiv,
- Stefano Ancetti,
- Niki Tadayon,
- Liliana Fidalgo-Domingos,
- Eduardo Sebastian Sarutte Rosello,
- Arda Isik,
- Kyriaki Kakavia,
- Sotirios Georgopoulos
Affiliations
- Nikolaos Patelis
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Metropolitan General, Athens, Greece
- Sean Matheiken
- Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust, Northampton, UK
- Theodosios Bisdas
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Metropolitan General, Athens, Greece
- Zaiping Jing
- ORCiD
- Vascular Surgery Department, First Affiliated Hospital to Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Jiaxuan Feng
- Vascular Surgery Department, First Affiliated Hospital to Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Matthias Trenner
- Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Paulo Eduardo Ocke Reis
- ORCiD
- Federal University Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Stephane Elkouri
- Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Alexandre Lecis
- Centre Hospitalier de Troyes, Troyes, France
- Dirk Le Roux
- University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Mihai Ionac
- ORCiD
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
- Marton Berczeli
- Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Vincent Jongkind
- ORCiD
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Kak Khee Yeung
- VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Athanasios Katsargyris
- 2nd Department of Vascular Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Efthymios Avgerinos
- 2nd Department of Vascular Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Dimitrios Moris
- Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Andrew Choong
- National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Jun Jie Ng
- National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Ivan Cvjetko
- University Hospital Merkur, Zagreb, Croatia
- George A. Antoniou
- ORCiD
- Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Manchester, UK
- Phillipe Ghibu
- University Hospital Hairmyres, East Kilbride, UK
- Alexei Svetlikov
- Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Center, National Scientific-Clinical Memorial Hospital, “Professor I.I. Mechnikov,” North-Western Medical University, St Petersburg, Russian Federation
- Harm P. Ebben
- Hospital Quironsalud, Málaga, Spain
- Hubert Stepak
- Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
- Sviatoslav Kostiv
- ORCiD
- University Clinic Ternopil City, Ternopil, Ukraine
- Stefano Ancetti
- ORCiD
- University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Niki Tadayon
- ORCiD
- Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Liliana Fidalgo-Domingos
- Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
- Eduardo Sebastian Sarutte Rosello
- Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Arda Isik
- Erzincan Binali Yildirim University, Erzincan, Turkey
- Kyriaki Kakavia
- 2nd Department of Vascular Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Sotirios Georgopoulos
- 2nd Department of Vascular Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Abstract
Introduction: With the steady rise in interest in e-learning and the sudden boost provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic, it becomes necessary to explore the e-learning experience within the medical community in the MENA region. Methods: An online survey was conducted during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (June 15 – October 15, 2020). Results: Seventy-eight vascular surgeons and trainees from 16 countries participated. 88% of the participants were male. 55% attended more than 4 activities. More than half of the activities did not lead to any official certification. Topic was the primary determinant for attending an activity. National societies and social media played a major role in disseminating activity-related information. Lack of time, increased workload, differences in time zone, and technical issues were the main obstacles cited. 84.7% of the participants had a positive impression. Conclusion: As the COVID-19 pandemic boosted e-learning activities in vascular surgery, a shift was observed in the learning mode and new leadership skills were called upon. Novel ways of quality control are required.
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