Evaluation of the Impact of Webinar Training in Comparison to Conventional Training on COVID-19 Risk Perception in Emergency Medical Technicians

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected in countless ways conventional teaching methods and led to a sudden shift in teaching methods toward distance teaching. Objectives: Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of webinar training compared to conventional training on the risk perception of COVID-19 in emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Methods: This quasi-experimental study selected 70 EMTs employed at the emergency medical services (EMS) affiliated to the Birjand University of Medical Sciences via convenience sampling. The participants were randomly designed into a webinar training group (n = 35) and a conventional training group (n = 35). The risk perception of COVID-19 was evaluated using a researcher-made questionnaire (40 questions) at baseline and immediately after teaching. The study data were analyzed using SPSS V.26, descriptive (frequency, mean, and standard deviation), and inferential statistics (t-test, ANOVA, and chi-square test). Results: All the 70 participants completed the questionnaire. The mean score of COVID-19 risk perception in both groups improved following teaching (P < 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups immediately after training (P = 0.76). Also, independent t-test and one-way ANOVA showed that the mean score of COVID-19 risk perception had no significant difference with the participants’ demographic data in the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The webinar in the form of distance teaching can be as effective as conventional teaching in improving COVID-19 risk perception. Therefore, a webinar format can be used during pandemics of infectious diseases when conventional training is impossible.