Clinical Report: Worldwide Impact of the 2025 ESCMID-EFISG Webinar Series

Overview

The 2025 ESCMID-EFISG webinar series provided a structured, year-long digital education program in medical mycology. This observational study evaluated participation, engagement, geographic reach, and faculty characteristics to assess the program as a scalable and equitable model for global professional development.

Background

Invasive fungal diseases pose a growing threat, particularly to immunocompromised patients, transplant recipients, and critically ill individuals. Emerging antifungal resistance and novel fungal pathogens increase the need for continuous medical education, while geographic and financial barriers can restrict access to specialized in-person training.

Data Highlights

• Seventeen webinars generated 4,631 registrations from 1,372 unique participants.

• Median live attendance was 199 viewers, with a median attendance rate of 39.3%.

• Median peak concurrent viewership was 165, and median session duration was 108 minutes.

• Participants represented 128 countries, with a median of 60 countries represented per session.

• The program included 67 unique faculty members from 23 countries.

Key Findings

• The series covered clinical management, diagnostics, epidemiology and public health, and antifungal resistance.

• Long-form sessions maintained sustained participation, challenging the assumption that online educational content must be brief.

• Faculty representation was nearly gender-balanced, and 16.4% of faculty were affiliated with institutions in low- and middle-income countries.

• Topic selection incorporated previous educational feedback, emerging epidemiological trends, and informal consultation with colleagues.

• Membership-restricted recordings and the absence of on-demand viewing data limited assessment of the program’s full reach and equity.

Clinical Implications

Structured digital education may expand access to specialized medical mycology expertise across diverse geographic and resource settings. The findings support considering continuing medical education accreditation, broader on-demand access, alternative broadcast times, interactive features, and partnerships with regional mycology societies. However, the study did not measure knowledge acquisition, clinical reasoning, behavioral change, or patient-management outcomes.

Conclusion

The 2025 EFISG webinar series achieved substantial global reach and sustained engagement with long-form, expert-led medical mycology content. Although its effect on clinical practice remains unmeasured, the program represents a scalable model for strengthening professional networks and potentially reducing disparities in access to specialized education.

Related Resources & Content

1. Primary study: “Global reach and sustained engagement of a structured digital education program in medical mycology: an observational analysis of the 2025 ESCMID-EFISG webinar series” — Jon Salmanton-García, Lena Siewert, Malcolm Richardson, and Antonio Vena; International Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 171 (2026), article 109072; accepted August 23, 2026.

2. Severe fungal disease burden: “Global incidence and mortality of severe fungal disease – Author’s reply” — Denning DW; The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Volume 24 (2024), page e269.

3. Antifungal resistance: “Tackling the emerging threat of antifungal resistance to human health” — Fisher MC, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Berman J, Bicanic T, Bignell EM, Bowyer P, and colleagues; Nature Reviews Microbiology, Volume 20 (2022), pages 557–571.

4. Emerging fungal infections: “Emerging fungal infections: new species, new names, and antifungal resistance” — Wiederhold NP; Clinical Chemistry, Volume 68 (2021), pages 83–90.

5. Virtual training: “Training a continent: a process evaluation of virtual training on infection prevention and control in Africa during COVID-19” — Kessy SJ, Gon G, Alimi Y, Bakare WA, Gallagher K, Hornsey E, and colleagues; Global Health: Science and Practice, Volume 11 (2023), article e2200051.

6. Webinar accessibility: “The benefits of virtual learning webinars to both low- and high-income countries” — Ng M, Chamileke N, Mapulanga V, Campain N, and Payne S; BJU International, Volume 129 (2022), pages 434–441.

7. Online-learning evaluation: “Evaluation of the quality and impact of online learning through the SAFE Europe webinars” — Guilherme Couto J, McNulty JP, Sundqvist E, Hughes C, and McFadden S; Radiography, Volume 30 (2024), pages 869–881.

8. Online fatigue: “Fighting Zoom fatigue: evidence-based approaches in university online education” — Basch JM, Albus P, and Seufert T; Scientific Reports, Volume 15 (2025), article 7091.

9. Medical e-learning: “The impact of e-learning in medical education” — Ruiz JG, Mintzer MJ, and Leipzig RM; Academic Medicine, Volume 81 (2006), pages 207–212.

10. Technology and fatigue: “Connecting through technology during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: avoiding ‘Zoom fatigue’” — Wiederhold BK; Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, Volume 23 (2020), pages 437–438.