• Davorina Petek, Irena Zakarija-Grković, Aleksandar Stepanović, Marion Tomičić, AdžićZlata OžvačićZO0000-0003-3524-6353Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia., Venija Cerovečki, Igor Švab, and Vesna Homar.
• Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
• Eur J Gen Pract. 2023 Dec 1; 29 (1): 22838342283834.

BackgroundSimilar to other countries, Departments of Family Medicine in the former Yugoslavia had to transition from face-to-face to distance education during COVID-19.ObjectivesTo elucidate obstacles and facilitators of the transition from face-to-face to distance education.MethodsA cross-sectional, multicentre, qualitative study design was used to analyse nine open-ended questions from an online survey using inductive thematic analysis. The questionnaire was distributed to 21 medical schools, inviting them to involve at least two teachers/students/trainees. Data were collected between December 2021 and March 2022.ResultsIn 17 medical schools, 23 students, 54 trainees and 40 teachers participated. The following themes were identified: facilitators and barriers of transition, innovations for enhancing distance education, convenience of distance education, classical teaching for better communication, the future of distance education, reaching learning outcomes and experience of online assessment. Innovations referred mainly to new online technologies for interactive education and communication. Distance education allowed for greater flexibility in scheduling and self-directed learning; however, participants felt that classical education allowed better communication and practical learning. Teachers believed knowledge-related learning outcomes could be achieved through distance education but not teaching clinical skills. Participants anticipated a future where a combination of teaching methods is used.ConclusionThe transition to distance education was made possible thanks to its flexible scheduling, innovative tools and possibility of self-directed learning. However, face-to-face education was considered preferable for fostering interpersonal relations and teaching clinical skills. Educators should strive to strike a balance between innovative approaches and the preservation of personal experiences.

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