Telehealth-related education and training: a systematic review of recent developments since the COVID-19 pandemic

The pandemic showed the potential of existing telehealth to increase healthcare access but also the need for healthcare workers to be competent and skilled in delivering care through this modality. We undertook a systematic literature review to identify telehealth-related courses developed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and summarised study characteristics, learning objectives, and course content. Articles describing telehealth-related training and education programs implemented between 2020 and 2024 were included. Papers were required to list specific program content or learning objectives for any educational level or type of health professional. Two authors independently extracted data. Quality of articles was assessed against the SQUIRE 2.0 guidelines. Quantitative data was summarised and reported using frequencies and percentages, learning objectives were mapped across the six Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) telehealth competency domains, and qualitative categories were thematically synthesised. Of 7547 articles identified, 51 were included. Most courses were implemented in the USA (82%), mostly targeted to undergraduate students (51%), and the number of articles per year increased over time. Most courses were developed by universities (53%), sometimes in collaboration with health services, and content was primarily applicable across multiple specialties. Participants nearly always evaluated the courses (90%). Content included basic knowledge and skills in telehealth, patient safety, and ethics, with learning objectives often on technology and communication. Only four programs included all AAMC telehealth competencies. This review highlights that telehealth education and training has expanded since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, current curricula are lacking experiential learning. Courses generally covered telehealth communication competencies in detail, but more content on the ethical and legal requirements, billing, physical examination, patient education, and eligibility for telehealth is required. For efficient resource use, standardised training can be applied across disciplines with addition of site or speciality-specific modules.