Since initiating the online series “Medical & Public Health Considerations of COVID-19” on March 25, we have produced 6 webinars and one town hall Q & A session. Didactic presentations covered topics including PPE, testing, Poison Center response, FDA EUAs, and use of certain drugs to treat COVID-19. Front line updates from medical professionals around the globe have provided a window on COVID-19 response from the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and India. 

The audience reach of these webinars far exceeds any ACMT has previously experienced in both volume and demographics. Typically, each webinar has between 700 – 1200 registrants and attendees. However, our April 8 webinar on PPE had over 8000 registrants with about 2500 attending. Due to this unprecedented volume of interest, we have expanded the capacity of guests to view the live event beyond the Webex platform. We now offer concurrent live stream options via YouTube and Facebook.

Registration data reveals that top categories in audience make-up consist of a combined average of  38% nurses 14% physicians, 10% public health professionals, and about 7% pharmacists. An average of 20% of the registrants marked themselves as “other,” with organizational affiliations including federal agencies (FBI, FDA, CDC, DHS), as well as numerous hospitals, local departments of health, academic institutions, and poison centers.

ACMT and partners AACT, AAEM, AAPCC, APAMT, EAPCCT, and MENATOX plan to continue the webinar series, with upcoming topics to include pulmonary manifestations of COVID-19, mental health considerations, OUD, and the Emergency Department experience during the pandemic.

Some comments from webinar attendees:

• “It was very helpful and educational. I will be able to apply the information during contact tracing and follow up with COVID clients.”
• “Thank you for hosting these webinars- they have been invaluable.”
• “Great to hear from the docs on the front lines with thoughtful reflections on details of differences being encountered.”
• “Fantastic webinar. As we get more clinical experience, please continue the updates.”
• “It was a great presentation. I truly appreciate the effort to put this on by the coordinator and speakers.”