Bringing the Pediatric Endocrine Spanish Speaking Community Together: First Virtual Pediatric Endocrine Meeting in Low- and Middle-Income Countries in Central and South America

• Published in: Interactive journal of medical research 2023-05, Vol.12, p.e41353-e41353
• Main Authors: Bogarin, Roberto, Elizondo, Luis, Kalaitzoglou, Evangelia, Popovic, Jadranka, Rogol, Alan, Richmond, Erick, Chanoine, Jean-Pierre, Lopez-Pedrosa, Jose M, Ruiz Salazar, Francis, Vuguin, Patricia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Viewpoint
• ISSN: 1929-073X; 1929-073X
• DOI: 10.2196/41353

Pediatric endocrinology is a specialty that is struggling worldwide to maintain adequately trained professionals. Pediatric endocrine care in Central America and Caribbean countries is often performed by pediatricians or adult endocrinologists due to the limited number of pediatric endocrinologists. These health care providers are seldom members of endocrine societies and frequently lack formal training in the field. In this study, we describe the scope of a virtual conference in pediatric endocrinology and diabetes targeted to low- and middle-income countries to provide equal opportunities for access to medical education for health care professionals. The virtual conference was sponsored by the Pediatric Endocrine Society (North America), Asociación Costarricense de Endocrinología (previously, Asociación Nacional Pro Estudio de la Diabetes, Endocrinología y Metabolismo), and Asociacion Centroamericana y del Caribe de Endocrinologia Pediátrica. The conference was free to participants and comprised 23 sessions that were either synchronous with ability for real-time interactive sessions or asynchronous sessions, where content was available online to access at their convenience. Topics included idiopathic short stature, polycystic ovarian syndrome, diabetes mellitus, telemedicine, Turner syndrome, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, obesity, central precocious puberty, and subclinical hypothyroidism. The participants were asked to evaluate the conference after its completion with a questionnaire. A total of 8 speakers from Spain, Canada, Costa Rica, and the United States delivered the virtual event to 668 health care professionals from Guatemala, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Mexico, Honduras, Argentina, the United States, Bolivia, Chile, Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Belize, Spain, and Colombia. Name, profession, and country were fully disclosed by 410 (61.4%) of the 668 health care professionals. The profession or level of training of participants were as follows: pediatric endocrinologists (n=129, 19.3%), pediatricians (n=116, 17.4%), general practitioners (n=77, 11.5%), adult endocrinologists (n=34, 5.1%), medical students (n=23, 3.4%), residents in various specialties (n=14, 2.1%), and others (n=17, 2.6%). A total of 23 sessions were offered, most of which were bilingual (Spanish and English). Feedback from the evaluation questionnaire indicated that the content of the conference was very relevant to the parti