Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pediatric Surgical Scientific Formats: An ERNICA Survey on Challenges and Future Directions

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Introduction The aims of this survey were to assess the experiences of the transition from in-person to virtual meetings among European pediatric surgeons since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to identify preferences for future formats. Materials and Methods An online questionnaire was circulated among members of the European Reference Network for rare Inherited and Congenital Anomalies Network (ERNICA) in 2022. Two time periods were compared (3 years before the COVID-19 pandemic vs. the year 2021). Results A total of 87 pediatric surgeons from 16 countries completed the survey. In addition, 27% of respondents were trainees/residents and 73% consultants/lead surgeons. Consultants participated in significantly more in-person congresses prior to the COVID-19 pandemic compared with trainees (5.2 vs. 1.9; p

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Article · May 2023 · 1 min read

In brief

This ERNICA survey of 87 European pediatric surgeons examines the shift from in-person to virtual scientific meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing attendance patterns between trainees and consultants across 2018-2020 versus 2021. The study identifies challenges and preferences for future hybrid conference formats in pediatric surgical education.

COVID-19 pandemic forced rapid transition from in-person to virtual meetings among European pediatric surgeons, fundamentally changing scientific exchange.
Consultants attended significantly more in-person conferences pre-pandemic than trainees (5.2 vs 1.9 annually), revealing experience-based participation gaps.
Survey of 87 pediatric surgeons across 16 ERNICA countries provides data-driven insights into post-pandemic preferences for scientific meeting formats.
Transition period (2019-2021) offers natural experiment to compare effectiveness of traditional versus virtual continuing medical education delivery.
Future meeting formats must balance accessibility benefits of virtual platforms with networking/hands-on learning advantages of in-person attendance.

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