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. 2022 Jun 28:13:641-647.
doi: 10.2147/AMEP.S355786. eCollection 2022.

Perceptions of Digital Teaching During COVID-19; A National Survey of 359 Internal Medicine Trainees

Arun Sivananthan #  1   2 , Victoria Nicholas #  3 , Georgina Kerry  4 , Christopher Harlow  5 , Pratyasha Saha  6 , Helen-Cara Younan  7 , Stephanie Williams  8 , Lewis David  9 , Clifford Lisk  10 , Louise Schofield  11
Affiliations

Perceptions of Digital Teaching During COVID-19; A National Survey of 359 Internal Medicine Trainees

Arun Sivananthan et al. Adv Med Educ Pract. .

Abstract

Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic brought significant disruption to post-graduate medical education. Lecture-based training days were rapidly converted to webinars. This study aims to assess the perceptions of digital training in internal medical trainees.

Methods: IMTs (internal medicine trainees) nationally were surveyed on their perceptions of digital training, ease of access, engagement, and interactivity via a 10-item questionnaire. A mixed-method approach using qualitative and quantitative questions was used. Likert scales were analysed using a mean result of above 3 to indicate agreement.

Results: 359 trainees responded. Trainees agreed that they preferred digital training to face-to-face teaching (mean 3.68); digital training was more engaging (mean 4.25), easier to access (mean 4.49), and as effective for learning as face-to-face teaching (mean 4.69). The most reported advantages were no travel (89%) and the ability to watch later on (88%). 63% of trainees reported loss of social interaction as a disadvantage.

Discussion: This survey suggests that digital teaching has a potential role in IMT training beyond the pandemic.

Keywords: IMT; digital training; medical education; post-graduate training; webinar.

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Conflict of interest statement

Arun Sivananthan and Victoria Nicholas are joint first authors. Clifford Lisk, Louise Schofield are joint senior authors. Dr Clifford Lisk reports personal fees from BMJ live, personal fees from acute general medicine conference, personal fees from healthcare UK conference, outside the submitted work; and Regional training programme director for Stage 1 internal medicine training North Central London; work produced in collaboration with education fellows. At the time of submission all authors declare no relevant competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Themes and subthemes divided into advantages and disadvantages of digital.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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