Assessing the Accessibility, Engagement, and Value of the Virtual Global Spine Conference as an Educational Platform for Spine: A Three-Year Review

• Published in: World neurosurgery Vol. 185; pp. e1040 - e1048
• Main Authors: Hussein, Amna, Than, Khoi, Gibbs, Wende, Rasouli, Jonathan, Dahdaleh, Nader S., Selby, Michael, Galgano, Michael, Mameghani, Alexander, Goodwin, Matthew L., Shin, John, Guiroy, Alfredo, Baaj, Ali
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.05.2024
• Subjects: Spine conference; Spine education Innovation; Spine Surgery; Teleconferencing; Virtual education; Virtual learning; Spine conference; Teleconferencing; Spine education Innovation; VGSC; Virtual learning; Virtual education; Spine Surgery; Virtual Learning; Spine Conference; Virtual Education; Spine Education Innovation
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2024.03.019
• ISSN: 1878-8750; 1878-8769

The Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic ushered a paradigm shift in medical education, accelerating the transition to virtual learning in select cases. The Virtual Global Spine Conference (VGSC), launched at the height of the pandemic, is a testament to this evolution, providing an independent educational series for spine care professionals worldwide. This study assesses VGSC's 3-year performance, focusing on accessibility, engagement, and educational value. Through retrospective data analysis from April 2020 to August 2023, we examined our social media metrics to measure VGSC's reach and impact. Over the study period, VGSC's webinars successfully attracted 2337 unique participants, maintaining an average attendance of 47 individuals per session. The YouTube channel demonstrated significant growth, amassing over 2693 subscribers and releasing 168 videos. These videos collectively garnered 112,208 views and 15,823.3 hours of watch time. Viewer demographics reveal a predominant age group of 35–44 years, representing 56.81% of the audience, closely followed by the 25–34 age group at 40.2%. Male participants constituted 78.95% of the subscriber base. Geographically, the viewership primarily originates from the United States, with India, Canada, South Korea, and the United Kingdom also contributing substantial audience numbers. The VGSC's presence on the “X account” has grown to 2882 followers, significantly enlarging the digital community and fostering increased engagement. The VGSC has demonstrated significant value as a virtual educational tool in spine education. Its diverse content and ease of access will likely enable it to drive value well into the post-pandemic years. Maintaining and expanding engagement, beyond North America in particular, remains a priority.