Transition from In-Person to Online Boards-An Exploratory Pilot Study on Pituitary Tumor Board Meetings

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Neurosurgery
• Digital Health

Background:

• The shift to online formats for clinical case discussions has impacted medical collaboration.
• Pituitary tumor boards are crucial for multidisciplinary patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the experiences of medical professionals with mixed (online/in-person) versus solely online pituitary tumor board formats.
• To investigate the impact of prior experience on the perceived effectiveness of virtual medical meetings.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 15 participants (10 specialists, 5 residents).
• Data collection via structured surveys and free-text responses.
• Comparison of experiences between those with mixed vs. solely online board exposure.

Main Results:

• Online pituitary tumor boards facilitated discussion of more cases.
• Perceptions of duration and participation dynamics differed between groups.
• Overall engagement was similar, but senior professionals reported reduced engagement in online formats.

Conclusions:

• Prior experience with in-person formats influences perceptions of online medical board effectiveness and engagement.
• Findings suggest potential differences in how specialists and residents adapt to virtual collaboration.
• Results provide a basis for optimizing future online medical board structures and protocols.