Building virtual real-time trauma care learning during armed conflict: the case of ECHO in Ukraine

1- Background Armed conflicts threaten the resilience of health systems and the continuity of medical education. The war in Ukraine has impacted the health infrastructure and workforce, highlighting the need for trauma care training to strengthen the capacity of healthcare professionals. Sustaining training remotely may offer a practical way to overcome limitations of in-person courses. In response, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI), in collaboration with Project ECHO at the University of New Mexico, piloted a virtual case-based community of practice (VCoP) for trauma care trainers who had already received in-person training from HHI and International Medical Corps. 2- Methods Ten VCoP sessions were implemented between October and December 2024. Implementation and outcomes were measured with a mixed-methods formative evaluation. Analysis included attendance data, post-session and end-of-series surveys, and semi-structured interviews. 3- Results Forty-four Ukrainian trauma trainers who participated in earlier in-person education participated in at least one session, representing 10 oblasts (administrative regions) in Ukraine. Post-session survey response rate averaged 74%. 84% of participants indicated applying knowledge from the sessions in their practice or teaching and 89% reported changes in their practice and innovation in their teaching methods. 95% of participants reported that the program helped them increase professional connectedness. All participants expressed interest in participating in future VCoP sessions with 75% expressing interest in leading future sessions. 4- Conclusion The Ukraine Trauma Care VCoP demonstrated that virtual education can be feasible and effective in bridging initial training and capacity strengthening of healthcare providers in conflict settings, providing sustainability. Future efforts should evaluate the ability of this model to adapt and scale in similar contexts.