Objective:

The objective of this review is to synthesize and appraise the available research on educational strategies required to prepare medical learners for engaging in telemedicine and virtual care.

Introduction:

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant uptake of virtual care and telemedicine, highlighting the growing need for health care organizations and medical institutions to support physicians and learners navigating this new model of health care delivery, clinical learning, and assessment. Developing a better understanding of how best to prepare medical trainees across the continuum of undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing professional development to engage in virtual care is critical in ensuring our continued ability to meet educational mandates and provide ambulatory care that is safe, efficient, and timely.

Inclusion criteria:

Eligible studies will include medical learners who receive education on how to deliver telemedicine. The quantitative component of the review will compare learners exposed to educational interventions with learners not exposed to an intervention, or to a different intervention. Outcomes will include competencies in telemedicine delivery, knowledge, and behaviors. The qualitative component of the review will explore learners’ experiences with the delivery of educational strategies that address telemedicine.

Methods:

Embase, MEDLINE, Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science Core Collection, Education Source, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global will be searched to identify published and unpublished studies. No date or language restrictions will be applied. This systematic review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for mixed methods systematic reviews using a convergent segregated approach. Titles and abstracts of potential studies will be screened, and potentially relevant studies will undergo full-text review for eligibility and critical appraisal of the study methodology. Data will be extracted from those studies selected for inclusion. Findings will be described relating to the effectiveness of educational curricula, initiatives, and best practices in trainee engagement in telemedicine and virtual care.

Systematic review registration number:

PROSPERO CRD42021264332

Introduction

Telemedicine and virtual care modalities have been adopted across the globe to ensure continued, safe, and timely delivery of health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. These modalities have had an overall positive impact on care delivery. 1-5 Similarly, various strategies have been adapted to enable ongoing medical education and mitigate the risks of missed learning opportunities. 6-8 Given the presence of prior drivers influencing the uptake of telemedicine and the relative success of widespread virtual care adoption, virtual care and related telemedicine approaches are likely to continue to contribute to future health care delivery. It is imperative for health care organizations and medical educational institutions to support physicians and learners navigating this new model of health care delivery and medical education. 3, 9