Best Practice Guidelines for Preparing Simulated Patients for Telehealth Simulation.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Informatics
• Simulation Technology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated telehealth adoption, highlighting the need for updated healthcare education.
• Existing academic curricula require integration of telehealth competencies for future healthcare professionals.
• Simulation-based experiences (SBEs) are recognized as effective tools for teaching and assessing clinical skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide guidance for developing and implementing telehealth simulation programs.
• To emphasize the role and training of standardized patients (SPs) in remote telehealth settings.
• To address the limited formal resources for training SPs in telehealth contexts.

Main Methods:

• Review of current telehealth simulation practices.
• Expert consultation on SP methodology in virtual environments.
• Development of best practices for telehealth SBEs.

Main Results:

• Telehealth SBEs require SPs to manage technology and adapt communication for virtual interactions.
• SP educators play a critical role in preparing SPs for authentic telehealth role portrayal.
• Specialized training is essential due to unique telehealth considerations, workflows, and technologies.

Conclusions:

• Integrating telehealth competencies into academic curricula is vital for technology-enabled practice.
• Standardized patients are essential for effective telehealth simulation-based experiences.
• This article offers guidance on SP methodology for telehealth education, addressing a gap in current literature.