Current Surgical Trainee Perceptions and Experiences in Telehealth.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Telehealth

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a broad expansion of telehealth technologies in healthcare.
• While telehealth's impact on patients, payors, and practitioners is studied, its educational effects, particularly on trainees, remain largely unexamined.
• Understanding the surgical trainee experience with telehealth is crucial for adapting medical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the experience and perceptions of surgical trainees regarding telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To assess the educational impact of telehealth expansion on resident training.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous survey was distributed to members of the American College of Surgeons Resident and Associate Society (RAS).
• Descriptive analysis was employed to summarize trainee experiences and perceptions.
• Chi-square analysis compared cohorts with and without telehealth exposure.

Main Results:

• Of 465 respondents, 62.8% were aware of telehealth technologies at their institutions.
• The pandemic led to decreased in-person clinic volume (94.4%) and increased virtual clinic volume (95.7%).
• Trainee integration into telehealth workflows significantly increased from 11% pre-pandemic to 54.5% (p < 0.001), associated with university-based or larger programs.
• Surgical trainees expressed a strong desire for enhanced telehealth integration and curriculum development.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first description of surgical trainee experiences and opinions on telehealth.
• Trainees acknowledge the importance of telehealth integration and training in their education.
• Findings should inform the development of optimized workflows and curricula for integrating trainees into telemedicine.