CoRad-19 - Modular Digital Teaching during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Radiology
• Digital Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid shift to digital learning formats in higher education globally.
• Medical faculties faced challenges in maintaining educational quality and student engagement with traditional teaching methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate CoRad-19, a digital teaching tool developed by the German Radiological Society.
• To assess the effectiveness of CoRad-19 in delivering radiology education to medical students during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Main Methods:

• 13 German-speaking universities implemented CoRad-19, partially or fully replacing in-person classes.
• A custom questionnaire surveyed students' prior radiology experience, opinions on e-learning, and subjective knowledge levels before and after participation.
• Data from 994 medical students were analyzed, with 451 complete datasets included.

Main Results:

• E-learning was consistently rated as a "very useful" and "very good" medium by students.
• Participants found radiology particularly suitable for digital teaching after course completion (p=0.005).
• Significant subjective learning gains were observed across all modules (p≤0.009), and interest in radiology increased post-participation (p=0.02).

Conclusions:

• CoRad-19 facilitated measurable learning effects and enhanced student interest in radiology.
• The digital tool provided substantial support to German-speaking medical faculties in maintaining high-quality education during the pandemic.
• This study highlights the potential of digital platforms for effective radiology training in medical curricula.