Academic lectures & student education are available online

COVID-19 training courses prepared for prolonged events

Korean pharmaceutical companies are also planning to expand online meetings with this opportunity

Due to the impact of COVID-19 spread, it shows signs of spread of “UNTACT” trend that seeks contactless non-face-to-face in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.

 

As an alternative to canceling academic conferences and training courses, conference, hospitals, and medical schools are preparing or conducting online services, and the pharmaceutical industry, which has a strong conservative tendency, is gradually preparing to expand online meetings.

 

The COVID-19 crisis is changing the current situation.

 

▲Training courses, medical student education also emerged as non-face-to-face online classes In the aftermath of COVID-19, cancellations are continuing from the annual international medical fair to the international academic conference.

 

The opening of medical school is also delayed.

 

With the gloomy prospect that the spread of COVID-19 will last from May to June, the provision of online education contents is emerging as an alternative.

 

The Korean Neurological Association recently opened an on-line education for program director(clinical doctors training specialists).

 

For the first training, face-to-face training is required within 1 year after completing the basic training of the hospital association, but it can be replaced by online training from the retake.

 

The Korean Ophthalmological Society also opened an on-line education system for program director.

 

Prof.

 

Young-Min Cho, Department of Endocrinology, Seoul National University Hospital, produced educational contents to provide to medical students through online system.

 

#The Korean Diabetes Association replaced the 23rd training course on-line education on the 4th of next month.

 

An official of the KDA said, “Because of concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in Korea, this training course was decided to be conducted as an on-line lecture considering the safety of attendees”.

 

However, in order to promote mutual exchange with speakers, such as question and answer, education was planned as a live broadcast, not as a recording.

 

In fact, the difference is that they don't take training in the field, but they decided to make use of the advantages of online and offline.

 

In addition, many of the academic conferences hold non-face-to-face online courses and training courses, so this situation is expected to spread more and more.

 

Professor A of Orthopedic Surgery at Kyunghee University Hospital said, “We have provided lecture materials recorded through the webistes or application, but there were not many readings, and the online service has already been completed, but it will be an opportunity to be activated through the COVID-19 incident”.

 

Hospital meetings have also turned into video type.

 

Seoul National University Hospital held a video conference between medical teams through a program called Zoom.

 

Professor Young-min Cho of the Department of Endocrinology, Seoul National University Hospital said, "Technologies that have been delayed due to COVID-19 are on the rise.

 

After using the online and video conferencing service, I felt that I didn't have to go to the society".

 

Although there are positive aspects to increase the scope of human exchange and find mentors through offline conferences, the online method is also efficient without great inconvenience in terms of the transfer of knowledge.

 

"I had a meeting at the last week with a video conferencing platform called Zoom, and the presentations were shared on the screen, so anyone could easily ask and answer questions," he said.

 

He said, “there was a video conferencing system, but I didn't use it because of my preference for face-to-face.

 

I'm also hoping that the world will change a little over this time”.

 

Online education is also introduced in medical lectures, which have been delayed.

 

Seoul National University has asked some professors to submit video recordings for online education.

 

If they write with a smartpen on educational materials such as PPT, online courses will be opened next week in the form of recording and providing them.

 

It is known that Seoul National University is currently building a server that can connect to 30,000 people simultaneously.

 

▲Pharmaceutical companies also use video services, telecommuting Currently, multinational pharmaceutical companies that have entered the country have converted most of their internal and sales positions to telecommuting to prevent further infection spread.

 

In addition, direct communication activities between the head office and branch offices, overseas business trips, and meetings have also been extended indefinitely.

 

In the pharmaceutical industry, video conferences using platforms such as Skype are in progress.

#A representative from a European foreign company A said, “As COVID-19 affects the world, overseas business trips and large-scale meetings are very limited.

 

In fact, the head office has already halted or postponed all overseas business trips and large-scale meetings, except inevitable".

 

He also said, “there is a risk of COVID-19 infection through salespeople's visits to hospitals and commuting by public transportation in Korea.

 

Since early February, employees have been working at home in advance to ensure their health and safety”.

 

This aftermath changed the way of town hall meetings in the foreign-owned companies.

 

Previously, the company gathered and held face-to-face meetings, but at this event, all of the employees except for some salespeople held an online live broadcast town hall meeting.

 

An American foreign investigator said, "Currently, all internal conferences in the region are being broadcast live online, and all questions are left in the comments and receive comments.

 

It is the first time that a live broadcast event involving all employees other than the officials participates".

 

In addition, there is a view that concerns about work discomfort and confusion due to the implementation of telecommuting, but there is no difficulty in handling or communicating at the site.

 

Since it has been introducing and using online collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams and Skype from the past, there is no great confusion in the process.

 

In addition, it is evaluated that there is no problem in maintaining the continuity of work because it can access the company's internal system through a VPN connection anytime, anywhere.

 

An official from a European pharmaceutical company said, "For foreign companies, the working method has been operated flexibly with the core time, and the working environment of employees has changed to a flexible smart office environment depending on the situation, not a designated seat system.

 

We are already familiar with using these online platforms, such as telecommuting".

 

He said, “In fact, it doesn't matter where you go, so in the case of my office work, I just changed my working place to my home, and nothing changed.

 

Instead, I actively utilize online collaboration tools such as Skype for voice or video calls”.

 

▲Will it be a way to introduce remote medical treatment? The old theme was also recalled due to COVID-19 crisis.

 

That is the introduction of telemedicine.

 

In foreign countries and conferences where remote medical treatment is possible, there are opinions urging the introduction of remote services due to the spread of COVID-19.

 

NEJM, an international academic journal, agreed to the theory of telemedicine affirmation through an editorial on the 11th.

 

Dr.

 

Judd E.

 

Hollander and Dr.

 

Brendan G.

 

Carr said, "We can't create a telemedicine program in one day, but US health systems that have already implemented telemedicine innovation can use it to respond to COVID-19".

 

In fact, the United States is said to have more than 50 telemedicine programs.

 

Since infection and transmission within a medical institution are possible, it means that diagnosis can be effective in an infectious disease crisis by minimizing exposure through remote medical treatment in a dedicated office space.

 

The Korean Neurological Association recently opened an on-line education for program director

#The Ministry of Health and Welfare also left a spark of conflict between departments, allowing phone consultations and phone in prescriptions from the 24th of last month.

 

A Professor of Hospital S, who conducted video telephony counseling, said that every patient has a smartphone, so I could see face ot face".

 

Also he added, “on the contrary, I thought what would happen if there was a system that could be used for auscultation in a smartphone?”.

 

He said, "At least in a crisis situation, it is better to use a video platform to provide a certain level of medical service than to block the provision of the service".

 

He pointed out that he know clinics are against the video platform, but the flow of times cannot be stopped.

 

He said, "A variety of services and technologies are being tested through the COVID-19 incident, and confirming the possibility is an unexpected harvest.

 

Opponents may dislike the situation, but it is difficult to take the same position in the future of infectious diseases".

 

On the other hand, the medical community expresses a strong refusal to allow the government to temporarily allow remote medical treatment.

 

The Korea Medical Association said, “There was no prior consultation and agreement with the Ministry of Welfare regarding phone consultations and phone in prescriptions.

 

Counseling and prescription using wireline is a violation of the principle of face-to-face treatment between doctors and patients”.

 

He stressed that in COVID-19 community outbreaks, telephone consultations and phone-in prescriptions with clear limits for doctors to check patient status are at risk of delaying the diagnosis of patients in need of testing or missing the opportunity for adequate initial treatment.