Comparison of Virtual and In-Person Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training

Purpose: There is limited research comparing virtual and in-person tobacco treatment specialist training. As a result of COVID-19, the Duke-UNC Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program (Duke-UNC TTS) transitioned from an in-person to a virtual format, allowing for a comparison of these two training formats. Materials and Methods: We conducted an observational study comparing Duke-UNC TTS attendance and evaluations at three courses provided in-person in 2019 with the same three courses provided virtually in 2020.  Results: The transition from in-person to virtual format was associated with more than a doubling of course attendance (in-person format enrolled 112 participants; virtual format enrolled 232 participants; p < 0.05).  The virtual format was also associated with more than two times the proportion of out-of-state participant attendance (in-person format enrolled 22.3% out-of-state attendees; virtual format enrolled 52.8% out-of-state attendees; p < 0.05). Course evaluations showed similar quality scores for measuring perceived knowledge acquisition and course satisfaction. Conclusions: This observational study showed that the virtual TTS training format had higher attendance and wider geographical reach, without a significant loss in quality, than the in-person training format. The study suggests that TTS training programs should consider continued delivery of training through interactive virtual formats to increase accessibility for participants.