EFAS/EAN survey on the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on European clinical autonomic education and research.

Fanciulli, Alessandra; Skorić, Magdalena Krbot; Leys, Fabian; Carneiro, Diogo Reis; Campese, Nicole; Calandra-Buonaura, Giovanna; Camaradou, Jennifer; Chiaro, Giacomo; Cortelli, Pietro; Falup-Pecurariu, Cristian; Granata, Roberta; Guaraldi, Pietro; Helbok, Raimund; Hilz, Max J; Iodice, Valeria; Jordan, Jens; Kaal, Evert C A; Kamondi, Anita; Le Traon, Anne Pavy; Rocha, Isabel; ... (2023). EFAS/EAN survey on the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on European clinical autonomic education and research. Clinical autonomic research, 33(6), pp. 777-790. Springer 10.1007/s10286-023-00985-3

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PURPOSE

To understand the influence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on clinical autonomic education and research in Europe.

METHODS

We invited 84 European autonomic centers to complete an online survey, recorded the pre-pandemic-to-pandemic percentage of junior participants in the annual congresses of the European Federation of Autonomic Societies (EFAS) and European Academy of Neurology (EAN) and the pre-pandemic-to-pandemic number of PubMed publications on neurological disorders.

RESULTS

Forty-six centers answered the survey (55%). Twenty-nine centers were involved in clinical autonomic education and experienced pandemic-related didactic interruptions for 9 (5; 9) months. Ninety percent (n = 26/29) of autonomic educational centers reported a negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education quality, and 93% (n = 27/29) established e-learning models. Both the 2020 joint EAN-EFAS virtual congress and the 2021 (virtual) and 2022 (hybrid) EFAS and EAN congresses marked higher percentages of junior participants than in 2019. Forty-one respondents (89%) were autonomic researchers, and 29 of them reported pandemic-related trial interruptions for 5 (2; 9) months. Since the pandemic begin, almost half of the respondents had less time for scientific writing. Likewise, the number of PubMed publications on autonomic topics showed the smallest increase compared with other neurological fields in 2020-2021 and the highest drop in 2022. Autonomic research centers that amended their trial protocols for telemedicine (38%, n = 16/41) maintained higher clinical caseloads during the first pandemic year.

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial negative impact on European clinical autonomic education and research. At the same time, it promoted digitalization, favoring more equitable access to autonomic education and improved trial design.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Head Organs and Neurology (DKNS) > Clinic of Neurosurgery

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

1619-1560

Publisher:

Springer

Language:

English

Submitter:

Nicole Söll

Date Deposited:

03 Jan 2024 14:47

Last Modified:

03 Jan 2024 14:47

Publisher DOI:

10.1007/s10286-023-00985-3

PubMed ID:

37792127

Additional Information:

Collaborators of European Network of Neurological Autonomic Laboratories: Z'Graggen, Werner Josef

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Autonomic nervous system COVID-19 pandemic Clinical autonomic education Clinical autonomic research Telemedicine e-Learning

BORIS DOI:

10.48350/191091

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/191091

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