Teaching telehealth consultation skills

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Telemedicine
• Digital Health

Background:

• Teleconsultations are increasingly adopted in Australia due to government incentives.
• There is a need for structured training to equip medical students with teleconsultation skills.
• The study focuses on preparing students for rural and remote medical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an innovative clinical skills lesson for medical students.
• To prepare students for teleconsultations in rural and remote practice settings.
• To enhance student understanding of telemedicine's technical, ethical, and procedural aspects.

Main Methods:

• A 2-hour interactive skills lesson was delivered to third-year medical students in small groups.
• Students rotated through four stations covering teleconsultation methods, legal/ethical issues, technical aspects, and patient/doctor barriers/benefits.
• The lesson's effectiveness was evaluated using a student survey.

Main Results:

• Medical students reported statistically significant improvements in understanding telemedicine issues and procedures.
• Students showed increased confidence in conducting telehealth consultations post-lesson.
• Qualitative feedback highlighted the value of discussing ethics and barriers in telemedicine.

Conclusions:

• Formal telemedicine training significantly benefits medical students' understanding and confidence.
• Students recognize the value of comprehensive telemedicine education, including technology, ethics, and protocols.
• Interactive discussions on ethical considerations and barriers in teleconsultations were particularly impactful for student learning.