Healthcare Professionals’ Telehealth Education and Training Experiences and Needs

Abstract

Background:

Medical education institutions and healthcare systems have increasingly adopted telehealth education/training since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the duration, content, and activities included in these education/training interventions are inconsistent, and the effectiveness of existing telehealth curricula is unclear. This study investigates healthcare professionals’ telehealth education/training experiences and needs.

Method:

A sample of 69 health care professionals who have used telehealth, including physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician associates, social workers, and psychologists, completed an online questionnaire in December 2024. Questionnaire items assessed receipt, duration, content, and activities included in prior telehealth education/training, and open-ended questions further explored participants’ education/training experiences and needs. Three coders analyzed qualitative data using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results:

Over 80% of participants reported receiving telehealth education/training during their professional careers. A higher proportion of participants reported didactic (vs. experiential) activities, and the topics explored most frequently in participants’ education/training were conducting assessments/evaluations in telehealth, communication skills, and ethical considerations. Open-ended responses indicated that experiential forms of training are particularly valuable in building telehealth skills. While participants were generally confident using telehealth, troubleshooting technological difficulties was a persistent gap in existing education/training.

Conclusions:

Existing telehealth education/training interventions provide essential baseline knowledge and skills in telehealth delivery. However, these interventions could be enhanced by emphasizing experiential learning and providing opportunities for healthcare professionals to practice telehealth skills in realistic settings. Future research should expand upon these findings by exploring these topics among certain groups of healthcare professionals and in specific medical contexts to develop tailored telehealth education/training interventions.