The Impact of Telehealth on Clinical Education in Adolescent Medicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Positive Preliminary Findings

Abstract

Purpose: Following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, much of clinical care rapidly transitioned to telehealth, shifting the clinical training milieu for most trainees. In the wake of this shift, educators have attempted to keep learners engaged in patient care and optimize medical education as much as possible. There is, however, limited understanding of the effect of telehealth on clinical education. The aim of our study was to better understand the educational experience of pediatric and Adolescent Medicine trainees participating in clinical encounters via telehealth in a specialty consultation Adolescent Medicine Clinic at a quaternary pediatric care hospital.Methods: Using a web-based anonymous questionnaire, we surveyed trainees rotating through the Adolescent Medicine Clinic between March and June 2020. We used descriptive statistics to evaluate their experiences with telehealth and identify techniques that were effective to facilitate learning during a telehealth visit.Results: Surveys from 12 pediatric and Adolescent Medicine trainees were received, a 75% response rate. Most trainees (83.3%) reported no prior experience with telehealth before the onset of the pandemic. By the end of their rotation, trainees identified techniques that helped facilitate learning during a telehealth visit. The majority of trainees (83.3%) rated their experience as effective or very effective, and all reported interest in incorporating telehealth into their future practice.Conclusions: Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine trainees reported overall positive experiences with telehealth in clinical education and an interest in incorporating this tool into future practice. Additional research is needed to refine techniques in engaging learners through telehealth.

Evaluating the Educational Impact of Telehealth on Adolescent Medicine Trainees: a Qualitative Approach

“…Our findings suggest that trainees in our Adolescent Medicine clinic have had positive learning experiences with telehealth and reported unique advantages that were often not afforded with in-person visits. Along with our recent work [ 17 ], this is the first study, to our knowledge, to evaluate the effects of telehealth in clinical education in Adolescent Medicine. Similar to prior studies, we found trainees had concerns about inability to observe pertinent physical exam skills during telehealth encounters, reported occasional discomfort holding difficult conversations virtually, and sometimes found it difficult to fit into the conversation [ 18 , 19 ••].…”

Non-US International Medical Graduates in Psychiatry Training During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Novel Solutions

“…Secondly, programs can consider creative ways of offering opportunities for remote, virtual USCE, considering subintern experiences, and inviting their matched IMG applicants for USCE prior to the internship start date. Psychiatry residency programs can also utilize telepsychiatry as a way of extending USCE to non-US IMGs [13].…”

“…With recommendations regarding social distancing and judicious use of protective personal equipment, many residency programs have been embedding telepsychiatry in their training. Telepsychiatry has also emerged as a viable mode of providing care to patients, with both patients and mental health practitioners recording positive attitudes towards it [13,17]. Therefore, it is safe to assume that telepsychiatry will continue to exist as a mode of providing psychiatric care even when the pandemic recedes.…”

Kebijakan Pembatasan Sosial Berkala: Prediksi Sikap Masyarakat Terhadap Telemedis Selama Pandemi COVID-19

“…Berbagai penelitian dan survei yang dilakukan selama masa ini menemukan bahwa kepuasan yang tinggi terhadap telemedis yang diberikan [21]. Temuan pada penelitian ini konsisten dengan laporan ini [22], yang menunjukkan kepuasan tinggi dengan layanan telemedis.…”