Orthopedic Department of Education Center and Service Provide During Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic: An Experience from Single-Center Hospital

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In the global pandemic of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many countries have reported a decrease in visits to hospitals, and health-care systems around the world are reshaping health protocols. Health service and education in orthopedics are also affected although not at the frontline in dealing COVID-19. METHODS: The data from this study collected from several official databases, including the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Central Java provincial government, general hospital, and orthopedic surgery cases. RESULTS: Pandemic COVID-19 started in March 2020 in Indonesia. Surakarta has become one of the epicenters. Health services in the orthopedic department also experienced a decrease cases on all divisions (outpatient clinics, emergency rooms, and inpatients). Mann–Whitney non-parametric comparative test showed significance result in p value operation of orthopedic cases and inpatients (p = 0.016 and p = 0.016; p < 0.05), meanwhile, outpatient visits did not show significance result with p = 0.0509 (p > 0.05). The decrease in the number of cases being treated in the orthopedic service also has an impact on education and training programs. The digital era is one of the choices in the field of education. However, digital resources cannot substitute for direct patient exposure. CONCLUSION: The average number of orthopedic patients during the pandemic period from January to December 2020 decreased compared to visits in the same period in 2019 so that orthopedic services at tertiary and academic referral hospitals experienced a significant decrease in cases. The education and services department must adapt to the policy on educational activities for residents and medical students. The education department and hospital institutions restructured and reorganized resident doctors to continue providing services. The digital era is an option that supports the education process during a pandemic.