Lessons Learned in the Design and Implementation of Virtual Telemedicine Curriculum for Third Year Medical Students...

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background: Telehealth, including Telemedicine, is the use of electronic communications technology to provide healthcare at a distance. There is a growing need to train future physicians to be adept and knowledgeable of telehealth. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) recently defined six core competency domains for Telehealth for medical residents and attending physicians. Methods: A multidisciplinary team of medical educators, Telemedicine practitioners, instructional technology experts and a senior medical student designed a Telemedicine curriculum centered on five primary educational activities. Training moved progressively from novice Telemedicine experiences to Telemedicine encounters with standardized patients and post-encounter debriefs to promote active learning, engagement, and self-regulation. The Telemedicine curriculum was prioritized and delivered to the entire class of 2022 (114 third-year medical students). Results: Student satisfaction surveys and post formative quiz items were used to assess the impact of the Telemedicine Curriculum. Over 95% of surveyed students agreed or strongly agreed the course was organized and helpful in developing clinical skills in preparation for clerkship. Students particularly valued the opportunity to engage in patient encounters while learning Telemedicine-specific patient safety and communication skills. Conclusion: With careful attention to instructional design, active learning formats that are historically successful in face-to-face settings can be equally successful in virtual settings. Standardized patients and peers can be trained to provide appropriate feedback in the right virtual setting.