Adult Hip and Knee Reconstruction Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

\n Background\n The COVID-19 pandemic caused an abrupt disruption in residency and fellowship training, with most in-person teaching ceasing in March 2020. The AAHKS Board of Directors quickly initiated an online lecture series named the Fellows Online COVID-19 AAHKS Learning (FOCAL) initiative. The purpose of this study was to illustrate the impact that this educational platform had on residents and adult hip and knee reconstruction fellows.\n \n Methods\n Between March 31st and June 25th, 2020 an online educational platform was simultaneously developed and delivered. Adult hip and knee reconstruction fellows and residents were invited to participate in the free, live, online education sessions. Faculty from well-respected institutions from around the United States volunteered their time to host the initiative, choosing topics to present, ranging from hip (13 lectures) and knee (9 lectures), to practice management/miscellaneous (12 lectures). Attendee registrations were tracked via the online platform and the maximum number of attendees per session was recorded. A survey was administered to attendees for feedback.\n \n Results\n Thirty-four one-hour virtual lectures were delivered in real-time by 79 different faculty members from 20 different institutions. A total of 4746 registrations for the 34 lectures were received, with 2768 registrants (58.3%) attending. The average attendance was 81 viewers per session (range: 21-143), with attendance peaking mid-April 2020. A survey administered to lecture participants showed that 104/109 (95.4%) attended live lectures and 93/109 (85.3%) watched recorded sessions. 92.5% of attendees responded that they wanted the lectures to continue after clinical responsibilities resumed.\n \n Conclusion\n Amid a pandemic with cessation of in-person training, AAHKS delivered a robust virtual training alternative, exposing residents and fellows to a variety of renowned faculty and topics. Attendance with the program were very high, along with continued interest to continue this initiative. These worldwide lectures may lead to future opportunities in virtual residency and fellowship education.\n