To the Editor,
Fukushima Medical University, the only medical university in the prefecture, dispatches anesthesiologists to 13 related hospitals in the prefecture. Coupled with geographical factors, it is not easy for anesthesiologists from all over the prefecture to gather to obtain educational opportunities. In addition, due to the pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019, gatherings have been restricted. Thus, we created an online education system for young anesthesiologists in Fukushima.
When we created the system, the following points should be taken into consideration: (1) it must be completed online, (2) it is to create an opportunity to exchange opinions frankly, and (3) it is to be considerate of participants caring for children. Based on the above, we hold a conference once a week, from 21:00 to 21:30 (15-minute presentation and 15-minute discussion), on a day as per the presenter, taking into account his/her work and home environments. For the conferences, we used Zoom (Zoom version 5.7.8 Zoom Video Communications, Inc., San Jose, CA, USA), which was currently widely used for medical education.1 The conference videos were stored in a locked cloud system, so they can be viewed by any members who could not attend the live conference. The members were 23 anesthesiologists, and they had less than 10 years of experience as an anesthesiologist. At the conference, they were allowed to discuss lively. The theme of the presentation was freely selected by the presenter, such as a literature review, a case report, case consultation, or an educational presentation, and discussions were held under a moderator (usually senior members). All participants were voluntary to attend the conference, but about 70% of the members (the male–female ratio of participants was almost the same as the male–female ratio of members) were regular to attend. By allowing participation with audio only (without videos), it was possible to listen to the presentations and discussions while participants put young children to sleep. In addition, we had created a closed discussion group via LINE (a free mobile messenger application provided by LINE Corp., Tokyo, Japan), and therefore, we can have a discussion at any time. Although the LINE/Zoom group was a closed group, and the group members agreed not to discuss the content with others outside the group, we paid close attention to the viewpoint of personal information protection when we presented patient information.
The main advantages of this system are that information shared between anesthesiologists who work far apart from each other has become more active. In addition, consideration of the work environment, including the style of work, schedule, and skillset, is essential for female anesthesiologists.2 Our system allows anesthesiologists on childcare leave to share information. Moreover, non-visualized skills, such as cardiac anesthesia and pediatric anesthesia, can also be educated. By this system, we are able to share viewpoints, tips, and suggestions about our experience. On the other hand, how to maintain the quality and attractiveness of the education system is an issue for the future, although 21 of our 23 members (91%) answered that they are satisfied with this system in a questionnaire.
We hope that our experience will provide anesthesiologists in rural areas with useful and important advice during the unprecedented pandemic and beyond.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Satoki Inoue, Ko Kakinouchi, and Yoshie Noji, who designed and managed the education system. The authors would like to thank the Scientific English Editing Section of Fukushima Medical University for their work on this manuscript.
Author Contributions
Saori Kase and Keisuke Yoshida prepared the manuscript. Takahiro Hakozaki helped to draft the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.
Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate
Fukushima Medical University Hospital has approved the use of Line and ZOOM for this purpose.