Virtual global health in graduate medical education: a systematic review

Abstract

Objectives: To synthesize recent virtual global health education activities for graduate medical trainees, document gaps in the literature, suggest future study, and inform best practice recommendations for global health educators. Methods: We systematically reviewed articles published on virtual global health education activities from 2012-2021 by searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I. We performed bibliography review and search of conference and organization websites. We included articles about primarily virtual activities targeting for health professional trainees. We collected and qualitatively analyzed descriptive data about activity type, evaluation, audience, and drivers or barriers. Heterogeneity of included articles did not lend to formal quality evaluation. Results: Forty articles describing 69 virtual activities met inclusion criteria. 55% of countries hosting activities were high-income countries. Most activities targeted students (57%), with the majority (53%) targeting trainees in both low-to middle-and high-income settings. Common activity drivers were course content, organization, peer interactions, and online flexibility. Common challenges included student engagement, technology, the internet, time zones, and scheduling. Articles reported unanticipated benefits of activities, including wide reach; real-world impact; improved partnerships; and identification of global health practice gaps. Conclusions: This is the first review to synthesize virtual global health education activities for graduate medical trainees. Our review identified important drivers and challenges to these activities, the need for future study on activity preferences, and considerations for learners and educators in low-to middle-income countries. These findings may guide global health educators in their planning and implementation of virtual activities.

Access, Interest and Equity Considerations for Virtual Global Health Activities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Quantitative Analysis of a Mixed Methods Study.

“…A lack of internet connectivity is a severe concern for GHAs (23,(45)(46)(47), and our previous study (28)…”

“…There is a growing body of evidence about these types of partnerships in the literature (23), but papers focusing speci cally on "glocal" activities and needs of engaged partners, particularly for virtual engagement, are lacking. Our data and previous papers (23,28) suggest that future study into these unique partner types would ll a gap in the literature.…”

Transfusion Camp Rwanda: A prospective feasibility study evaluating the delivery of Transfusion Camp to a multidisciplinary group of postgraduate medical trainees in Rwanda

“…In a recently published scoping review of virtual medical education, of which 30% of described activities were asynchronous, the most commonly cited barrier to success was trainee engagement (e.g., lack of interest or motivation), followed by internet or technology challenges. 16 Future efforts at expanding Transfusion Camp internationally, particularly in resource-limited countries with unreliable internet access, may require a shift toward a train-the-trainer approach, where in-country faculty are trained to deliver the Transfusion Camp curriculum themselves. In addition, any conclusions regarding knowledge retention are limited by a significant loss to follow up, with only half as many trainees available to take the test at 3 months as had been immediately after course completion.…”

“…Due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, Transfusion Camp (Canada) has also transitioned from in‐person to virtual teaching, but both lectures and seminars have largely remained synchronous. In a recently published scoping review of virtual medical education, of which 30% of described activities were asynchronous, the most commonly cited barrier to success was trainee engagement (e.g., lack of interest or motivation), followed by internet or technology challenges 16 …”

Augmented Reality in Breast Surgery Education

“…Virtual health has been heralded as the "next big thing" in healthcare. Defined as telehealth, digital therapeutics, and care navigation via remote technologies, virtual health promises several benefits, including new medical education methods [6]. Remote telementoring is a branch of telehealth, and one of the applications of AR in healthcare inside the operating room, providing real-time supervision and technical assistance during a surgical procedure by a remote expert surgeon [7].…”