An Analysis of Participant Preferences Regarding Virtual Versus In-person Format of Orthopaedic Surgery Educational...

The University of California, San Francisco Institute for Global Orthopaedics and Traumatology Surgical Management and Reconstructive Training (SMART) course has instructed orthopaedic surgeons from low-resource countries on soft-tissue reconstruction. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the course was conducted in-person; however, it was transitioned to a virtual format during the pandemic. The aim of this study was to determine participant preferences regarding a virtual or in-person SMART course format.

Survey data were collected via e-mail after each SMART course using RedCap or Qualtrics. Statistical analyses were conducted using Stata.

There were 247 survey respondents from 44 countries representing all world regions, with Africa (125, 51%) the most represented. Of those who attended both an in-person and virtual course, most (82%) preferred the in-person format. In addition, all measured course outcomes were significantly better for participants attending the in-person course. The most common reason for not attending an in-person course was the cost of travel (38, 51%).

This study demonstrated a preference toward in-person learning for the SMART course. In addition, those surgeons participating in the in-person course endorsed increased positive outcomes from the course. Increased emphasis should be placed on in-person surgical skills training for low-resource surgeons.