67. Improving the Quality of Grand Rounds in Plastic Surgery: In-person, Hybrid, or Virtual

PURPOSE: Many plastic surgery residency programs adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing virtual grand rounds. Little is known regarding the impact of virtual grand rounds, how attendees perceived virtual grand rounds, and how best to implement grand rounds moving forward. This study aimed to assess the impact of virtual grand rounds and how attendees perceived virtual grand rounds in order to inform future programmatic planning. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was administered to residents, fellows, and faculty within two multi-site plastic surgery residency training programs as part of a quality improvement initiative. Attendance and speaker characteristics were compared between the 2017-2018 (in-person) and 2021-2022 (virtual) academic years. Hybrid grand rounds were defined as in-person for speakers and others who could attend. RESULTS: There were 39 respondents (51% faculty, 41% residents, and 8% fellows), with a response rate of 67% among those who attended at least one grand rounds in 2021-2022. Most respondents had experience speaking at grand rounds (66.7%) and had experienced grand rounds in-person before the COVID-19 pandemic (76.9%). Between residents/fellows and attendings, there was no evidence of different preferences for the format of future grand rounds (p = 0.08), with most preferring hybrid (57.9% of residents/fellows, 50.0% of attendings). Participants who had experienced in-person rounds before the pandemic were significantly more likely to prefer hybrid rounds than those never experiencing in-person rounds (88.9% vs. 43.3%, p = 0.046). Most respondents selected the hybrid grand rounds format as most effective for delivering content (38.5%), learning content (48.7%), and sharing and communicating new practice recommendations (51.3%) and research (59%). Most respondents selected the virtual format as most effective for ease/convenience of attending (51.3%), while most respondents selected the in-person format as most effective for networking and collegiality (82.1%), collaboration between presenters and attendees (61.5%), and remaining engaged/attentive (64.1%). Respondents who had experience speaking at grand rounds found the virtual format most effective for ease of presenting (61.5%), but the in-person format most effective for maintaining audience engagement and attention (65.4%). Excluding outliers, attendance in 2021-2022 was on average 7.4 percentage points greater than in 2017-2018 (p < 0.001). Of those present both in 2017-2018 and in 2021-2022 (n = 46), 33 individuals increased their attendance in 2021-2022, including all but one trainee. There were significantly more out-of-state speakers in 2021-2022 (84%) as compared to 2017-2018 (28%) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Virtual grand rounds improved attendance and the geographic diversity of speakers. Attendees preferred a hybrid format for future grand rounds, citing advantages and disadvantages to both in-person and virtual formats. Plastic surgery residency programs should consider hybrid formats for future grand rounds.