Keywords: Telemedicine, medical student, questionnaire, education

Background:

As telemedicine (TM) becomes increasingly widespread, it is essential—when preparing future healthcare professionals—to understand what knowledge, experience, and attitudes medical students have regarding digital forms of care.

Research questions:

1- What is the perception of medical students on the usefullnes and attractivenmess of TM?
2- How satisfied are med students with the opportunities they have in their curriculum to familiarize with TM?

Method:

Using convenience sampling, we conducted an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire survey among medical students (N = 142; ongoing study). The questionnaire assessed demographic data, awareness of and experiences with TM, attitudes toward TM, and educational needs. Quantitative variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative open-ended responses were evaluated using thematic analysis.

Results:

More (31 %) students expressed below sufficient knowledge on TM than satisfactory (23,2%). Overwhelming majority of them (88%) consider TM a useful accesory to regular care and a good tool to improve acces to care, however, already 33,1 % believe that TM doesn't improve the quality of care. While students have a very beneficial opinion on the more advanced form of TM (like live videoconsultations and distant monitoring via apps or connected medical devices), the most common TM forms available (email, instant messages or SMS) recieved mixed opinions. Despite a strong majority (79,6 %) of the students beleive that would be imporant to learn more about TM in their curriculum, only 44% of them reported receiving any formal TM education during their studies, and only 50 % of the students with educational experience on TM considerd the actual education useful. In the free-text section dedicated to ideas and suggestions, 10% of respondents spontaneously identified the family medicine course as an ideal opportunity for telemedicine education.

Conclusions:

Medical students have a favorable attitude toward telemedicine; however, there is substantial demand for expanding their knowledge and for systematic education on the topic.

Points for discussion:

Forms of telemedicine education in medical schools

Role of family medicine in TM education

Best way to scientifically analyze free text input