The Coronavirus Pandemic: The Most Disruptive Force to Affect My Life and Practice During the Coronavirus Pandemic

e COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting the daily lives of Americans and sowing anxiety, outrage, and confusion.Fear is mounting with every update on the number of new cases and deaths.Hundreds of thousands of American workers, perhaps as high as 30%, are facing sudden unemployment with uncertain future prospects in a time of severe labor market disruptions.Adaptability will be key for those seeking employment as some industry sectors shed workers, and others need to add new staff rapidly.New York City, a major COVID-19 hot spot, is experiencing a critical shortage of medical personnel.Mayor Bill de Blasio pleaded for a national draft of medics, where they are most needed.He admitted, "I don't see honestly, how we're going have the professionals, we need to get through this crisis." A physician in Chicago said, he was torn between flying to New York and preparing his hospital for the coronavirus onslaught."ere's a pull in myself to stay at my institution and help when the problem gets here.

Pandemic

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

10.25259/sni_172_2020

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Pandemic Coronavirus Issue: How do We Respond?

Journal of South Asian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (2020)

Asım Kurjak

Pandemic

Coronavirus

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

10.5005/jp-journals-10006-1747

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Coronavirus pandemic. What are we doing

J. C. Herrera-García

Pandemic

Coronavirus

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

Coronavirus Infections

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Policy Throughout The Pandemic

Caring for the Ages (2021)

Joanne Kaldy

Executive director

10.1016/j.carage.2021.05.018

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Opportunities for education during the COVID-19 pandemic

JAAD International (2020)

Khang D. Nguyen Tyler Enos Travis Vandergriff Rebecca Vasquez Ponciano D. Cruz

The rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) around the globe has necessitated implementation of social distancing measures to slow disease dissemination and conserve personal protective equipment. These actions have changed how we live and work. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged our mission to teach the next generation of dermatologists. In this moment, we have been dealt new obstacles, which demand flexible solutions. We wish to share our experiences with continuing residency education on a virtual platform. During this international disaster, some may ask, why bother with education? Physicians from a variety of specialties, including dermatology trainees, are contributing to front-line patient care in COVID-19 hot spots.1Sengupta S. 'With virus surge, dermatologists and orthopedists are drafted for the E.R.' New York Times.https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/nyregion/new-york-coronavirus-doctors.htmlDate: 2020Date accessed: April 7, 2020Google Scholar In places where there is not an immediate demand for dermatologists to serve alongside our colleagues in acute patient care, education can continue and may serve as a way to maintain normalcy. The duration of this pandemic is unknown, and delays in reengineering education may result in long-lasting deficits in resident training. Virtual education can also establish a sense of camaraderie and connection when many are experiencing social isolation. Recent technologies have made virtual resident education accessible to all training programs. High-quality camera technologies and high-speed Internet have made group-meeting software a feasible replacement for traditional learning experiences (Table I). We have sought to ensure that these technologies supplement rather than distract from the fundamental goals of our teaching, which are to help trainees gain knowledge, improve critical thinking, and facilitate dialogue among residents and attending physicians. Our basic and clinical science lectures, grand rounds conferences, and image sessions are now broadcast live and recorded for future viewing with Microsoft Teams (a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act–compliant platform, Microsoft, Redmond, WA). Dermatopathology lectures, delivered throughout the week, are taught with live-broadcast sessions; with self-paced review of glass slides, whole scanned slides, and photomicrographs, followed by instructor-led review; and with live streaming at the microscope with an attending dermatopathologist. Overall, we have increased lectures and conferences to supplement the loss of direct patient care caused by postponement of nonurgent visits and procedures.Table IAdvantages and disadvantages of digital platforms for medical educationAdvantages of digital formatDisadvantages of digital formatAllows social distancing necessary during pandemicLack of inherent aspects of interactivity during live encountersConvenience of access obviating commute to site of live sessionPotential for distraction during lecture by primary speakerReal-time virtual visits allow faculty to witness trainee-patient interactions and provide feedback for improvementPotential for technical limitations/interruptions (eg, faulty connections)Potential for greater number of participantsLimitations on hands-on activities (eg, suturing skills sessions)Potential for economy (eg, obviates travel expense for imported guest speakers)Hacking by malevolent sourcesAutomatic archival of presented material and contentUse of archived material for review and improvementAllows chats during lecture of primary speaker Open table in a new tab As we have transitioned patient care to teledermatology, we have maintained resident involvement in outpatient visits and inpatient consultation services despite physical separation. Teledermatology has been shown to be an effective, efficient way of treating and triaging patients.2Zakaria A. Maurer T. Su G. Amerson E. Impact of teledermatology on the accessibility and efficiency of dermatology care in an urban safety-net hospital: a pre-post analysis.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2019; 81: 1446-1452Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (32) Google Scholar However, formal teledermatology curricula are lacking.3Wanat C. Newman S. Finney K.M. Kovarik C.L. Lee I. Teledermatology education: current use of teledermatology in US residency programs.J Grad Med Educ. 2016; 8: 286-287Crossref PubMed Scopus (31) Google Scholar We have taken this opportunity to revitalize our teledermatology education, beginning with incorporation of the American Academy of Dermatology teledermatology curriculum. Residents also receive individual feedback about patients they care for via teledermatology. In outpatient clinics, residents primarily treat patients through the use of the EPIC electronic medical record and the BlueJeans videotelephony platform for live-interactive teledermatology. On inpatient services, we use both store-and-forward teledermatology and live-interactive interfaces as needed. In-person visits with patients are reserved for high-acuity cases that require direct evaluation. Challenges presented by COVID-19 have highlighted our collective resilience and creativity. Meaningful learning is not easy, and the present circumstances have transformed us into new learners as both our residents and attending physicians have adapted to novel ways of education and of caring for patients.

Pandemic

Social distance

Isolation

Personal Protective Equipment

10.1016/j.jdin.2020.04.003

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