Learnings from the forced transition of an industry supported educational programme for young experts in urology and oncology from face-to-face to digital during the COVID-19 pandemic

Figures & data

Table 1. Summary of the annual programme in relation to the three meetings

Meeting	Format	Aims
Meeting 1 (16 & 17 January 2020)	Face-to-face	Improving skills in the following areas: - Enhancing the ability to understand statistical data - Increasing presentation skills - Ability to develop and implement educational programmes
Meeting 2 (13 July 2020)	Digital	Improving skills in the following areas: - Identifying and prioritising educational knowledge gaps covered by educational programmes for young Oncologists and Urologists in the future - Identifying digital formats best suited to address knowledge gaps - Identifying faculty for future educational meetings
Meeting 3 (20 & 27 November 2020)	Digital	Discussing new data with impact on daily practice to improve knowledge and drive behavioural change by future educational programmes for young clinicians treating prostate cancer - Identifying new scientific data in PC with impact in daily clinical practice - Identifying and evaluating further educational knowledge gaps

Table 2. Overview of participants across meetings and interviews

Who	Young Experts	Teaching Faculty/Advisors
Description	Clinical specialists in prostate cancer (future faculty)	Senior experts in urology & oncology/ Scientific committee/Teaching Faculty
Meeting 1	n = 33	n = 5
Meeting 2	n = 14	n = 2
Meeting 3	n = 21	n = 5
Interviews	n = 9	n = 4*

*one participant moved from the learner group to the senior faculty. Input was allocated accordingly

Table 3. Outcomes per learning objective

Objectives	Findings	Comments
LO 1: Increase ability to understand statistics and apply in a professional environment	High satisfaction Learners confirm increased ability Learners confirm that they applied this new skill	The subjective perception of the learner was confirmed by the perception of the faculty (increased ability) and by staff (application of new skills in local meetings)
LO 2: Improve presentation skills and performance as a speaker	High satisfaction Learners confirmed increased knowledge on how to present Learners confirmed that they applied the new skill in meetings (online and offline)	The subjective perception of the learner was confirmed by the perception of the faculty (increased ability) and by staff (application of new skills in local meetings) The learners indicated that they were able to apply the new skill in a virtual setting
LO 3: Increase ability to develop an educational programme	Medium satisfaction and recall of the sessions Most learners confirmed increased knowledge of how to do it Most learners did not apply this new skill in real life	The learners indicated that this topic was less relevant for them Several learners indicated that this is not part of their role in real life
LO 4: Increase ability to identify knowledge gaps	Medium to high satisfaction and recall of the session Some learners did not really understand the purpose of the session Most learners did not apply this new skill in real life	The learners indicated that they had good and stimulating discussions
LO 5: Increase ability to identify and allocate digital channels	Low recall of the session Some learners did not really understand the purpose of the session	The learners indicated that this topic was less relevant for them Several learners indicated that this is not part of their role in real life
LO 6: Identifying faculty for future educational meetings	Medium recall of the session
LO 7: Identify new scientific data in PC with impact in daily clinical practice	High satisfaction and recall of the session Most learners confirmed increased awareness and knowledge on how to do it	Learners indicated that the topic was relevant, the session was engaging and interactive Perception was confirmed by faculty and staff

Table 4. Supporting quotes for key findings 1–4

Key Finding	Quotes
Key Finding #1: Relevance is key	“ … it’s such a frequent problem that we face”.. (learner) “… I remember about all those parts about maybe the the one that impacted me more, or I remember it more because it’s very linked to our practice … “ (learner) “ it was very relevant, especially for the ones I know … .(staff)
Key Finding #2: Social interaction is possible and important for learners in the digital environment	“When we meet in person, we mostly don’t talk. And in digital in the last meeting, we talk a lot by WhatsApp by mail. So I don’t think digital is a barrier .” (learner) I“t was extremely useful, because it was a real moment of an interaction, of interface” (learner) “… because in the face-to- face meeting, I think I didn’t participate a lot because I was a bit ashamed …And in the digital, you know, you don’t feel like that … “ (learner) “the breakout rooms in the online format worked really well” (learner)
Key Finding #3: New skills are required for faculty in the digital environment	“I’m not a user of, of these kinds of tools … if you want to interact more than 20 simply forget it” (faculty) “it’s quite hard to see when people are engaging … it’s still quite hard to have a proper discussion” (faculty) “I’m not a digital guy for the new tools …I’m not using them” (faculty) „these guys (= the young experts) really know what they’re talking about. So I think it was the, you know, the student teaching the teachers on that one“ (faculty)
Key Finding #4: Hybrid approaches as the preferred model of the future	“I would go for a combination, if it’s possible also for the future … ” (learner) “It has been a mixture of both things. Face to face is dated, but virtual is also, well, it’s difficult, it’s very difficult to have a five days face to face meeting, its more feasible to have a two day’s face to face meeting and the equivalent in terms of time of the three extra days by one or two hour sessions virtual, either prerecorded or better interactive, it can be both pre recorded and/or interactive, so it has to be it has to be both, it will be both. I do believe it will be both”. (faculty) “I think we have to organise it to, in one event clinicians can go to the live meeting and digital meeting” (staff)