By doing so, we aim to ease the transition from face-to-face to online teaching. The authors aim to mitigate the disruption of the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on medical education by reviewing the available videoconferencing platforms and suggesting those most suited to educational use based on a set criterion as derived from a surveyed cohort of medical students and educators. This broader term encapsulates both meetings and web-based seminars (also known as webinars). Videoconferencing is defined as “a conference in which participants in different locations are able to communicate with each other with both sound and vision” ( 16). We posit that videoconferencing tools are part of the solution towards this goal through their provision of educational content to students globally. Due to the nature of medicine and the need to maintain the standard of patient care, maintaining the integrity and continuity of medical teaching is paramount when possible ( 15). Many institutions, including our own, are turning to online teaching and educational platforms, many of which rely on synchronous videoconferencing ( 14). Of significant concern is the disruption to education and training, with The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization estimating that 87.6% of enrolled learners have been affected by the pandemic ( 13). investigated the efficacy of social distancing on the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and determined a projective reduction in median infection rates of 24% by the end of 2020 following a staggered return to work commencing at the beginning of April 2020 ( 11).ĭespite the demonstrated efficacy of social distancing measures, their use imposes significant economic costs and psychosocial challenges ( 8, 12). A modelling study conducted by Prem et al. Their efficacy has not only been shown in clinical studies but also in simulations and pandemic models ( 9, 10).
Such techniques for the control of communicable diseases are not novel and have been successfully employed in previous outbreaks, notably the 1918 H1N1 pandemic and the 2003 SARS pandemic ( 5- 8). The novelty of the virus accompanied by its asymptomatic transmission and lack of a current treatment or vaccine highlights the importance of self-isolation to reduce global infection rates ( 2- 4). A concerted international response to the outbreak has focused on social distancing and quarantine measures through the closure of schools, workplaces, and community centers, in addition to household isolation, as a means of limiting human-to-human transmission and disease progression, thereby reducing the strain on the healthcare system. The ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic and the associated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have had profound global and personal implications, with 5,701,337 confirmed cases and 357,688 confirmed deaths across 213 countries, areas, and territories at the time of writing ( 1).
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