A Randomized Study Using Telepresence Robots for Behavioral Health in Interprofessional Practice and Education

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Informatics
• Telemedicine

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated widespread adoption of telemedicine.
• Telemedicine, particularly telepsychiatry, has a history of use in healthcare.
• Telesimulation offers a potential method for educating health sciences students remotely.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of telesimulation using telepresence robots for health sciences student education.
• To compare the experience of students using telepresence robots versus in-person training for standardized patient interviews.

Main Methods:

• Recruited health sciences students for training in conducting contextual interviews with standardized patients (SPs).
• Participants were block-randomized into telepresence robot (TP) or in-person (IP) groups.
• Assessed outcomes using the Contextual Interview Observation Form Adult (CIOF-A), NASA Task Load Index, Self-Efficacy in Patient Centeredness Questionnaire (SEPCQ), and Communication Skills Attitude Scale.

Main Results:

• 43 participants were recruited (21 IP, 22 TP).
• No significant differences were found in key outcome measures between the TP and IP groups, with small effect sizes noted.
• Data suggests telepresence robot use did not negatively impact student comfort or competence.

Conclusions:

• Telesimulation via telepresence robots is a viable method for training health sciences students in behavioral health screenings.
• Students using telepresence robots felt as comfortable and competent as those trained in person.
• Findings support the integration of telepresence technology in medical education for remote learning.