Evolution of a comprehensive longitudinal multidisciplinary telehealth curriculum

Telehealth and telemedicine skills are critical to medical practice. Embedding telehealth education into medical school curricula in a way that enhances other elements of the medical school curriculum and emphasizes its relevance to medical practice can be challenging.

Beginning in 2022, the initial telemedicine course at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences has evolved into a longitudinal, 4-year curriculum that integrates telemedicine concepts throughout multiple courses. This integration supports learners' motivation to master material and leverages their evolving experiences in telehealth throughout medical school.

Over a 4-year longitudinal curriculum, student skills in telemedicine are assessed during 2 Objective Structured Clinical Examinations, one in the pre-clerkship period and one during the clerkship period. Outcomes from one class that has undergone both assessments show improvement in skills between assessments, although students continue to struggle with telemedicine physical examinations.

Telemedicine can be presented as an integrated, longitudinal curriculum that supports clinical skill development. Future directions include focusing on telemedicine physical examination skills, ongoing assessment of student performance, and investigation into the use of telemedicine in residency and clinical practice.