Webinars as an alternative form of training
The total lack of knowledge about the virus and its effects, the lack of scientific evidence, and the urgent need for direct information on the management of different scenarios in the pandemic have translated into great proactivity towards the creation of forums and activities of an educational nature. Especially in the weeks following the worst moments of the pandemic, it was not rare to receive invitations to seminars, webinars, and other online medical events in which professionals from all over the world participated.
The SECCE was no stranger to this trend; the boost that COVID-19 has given ECMO therapy and its high implantation rate in Spain gave rise to a first event on May 4, the ”Virtual Symposium: ECMO in COVID patients”, in which the author (EPS) had the honor of participating together with other Spanish colleagues and which was followed by another international event organized by the Spanish Association of Perfusionists and the Latin American Perfusion Association, “COVID-19: New trends in perfusion”, with the participation of surgeons (Spain and Germany) and perfusionists (Spain and Switzerland). Both were highly successful in attendance and interactive participation by Spanish and Latin American professionals, from different specialties and fields of work.
As a culmination of the ECMO therapy training initiative, the SECCE has organized the 1st Online Course “ECMO, the success of therapy” (http://sectcv.es/category/formacion/simposio-virtual/) with a global and multidisciplinary approach. Participating teachers include cardiovascular surgeons (adult and pediatric), anesthetists, intensivists, cardiologists, perfusionists, and intensive care nurses. In five modules, the program covers all aspects related to the use of ECMO:
- Module I: Indications and versatility of ECMO (indications, management and cannulation)
- Module II: ECMO, state of the art (physiology, anticoagulation, complications).
- Module III: Thinking out of the box? (Pediatric ECMO, ECMO in heart donation).
- Module IV: New frontiers for ECMO (transplantation, transfers, ethical aspects).
- Module V: Summary (lecture by Dr. Daniel Goldstein —Montefiore Medical Center, NYC— and panel discussion with experts).
This need to acquire knowledge remotely has given a boost to the Society’s online training offerings which, although already in existence, have now been reinforced and expanded with new online courses and seminars (http://campuscardiovascular.sectcv.es) about other aspects of cardiovascular surgery not directly related to COVID-19.