Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods (DEMM), University of Milan, Milan, 20122, Italy.
Pediatric and Adolescent Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, 27100, Italy.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2024 Aug 2;24(1):885. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-11365-6.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the integration of digital technologies in the healthcare sector. Telemedicine has notably emerged as a significant tool, offering a range of benefits. However, various barriers, such as healthcare professionals' insufficient technological skills and competencies, can hinder its effective implementation. Scholars have examined the readiness of future physicians, with some studies exploring their readiness before or during the COVID-19 crisis. There is, however, a noteable gap in the literature concerning the post-pandemic period. This study aims to identify gaps in current medical education programs by examining two primary aspects: (1) technical readiness (encompassing general and health-related digital competencies) and (2) behavioural readiness, which includes prior experiences and future intentions related to telemedicine education and implementation among medical students and residents.
A cross-sectional study was conducted using a web-based questionnaire administered to medical students and residents at a major Northern Italian university. The survey responses were analyzed to ascertain whether their distributions varied across demographic variables such as gender and level of education.
The most commonly owned technologies were laptops and smartphones, with smartphones perceived as the easiest to use, while desktop computers presented more challenges. Approximately 38% of respondents expressed apprehension about applying digital health information in decision-making processes. There was a significant lack of both personal and academic experience, with only 16% of students and residents having used telemedicine in a university setting. Despite this, 83% of participants expressed a desire for training in telemedicine, and 81% were open to experimenting with it during their academic journey. Moreover, 76% of respondents expressed interest in incorporating telemedicine into their future clinical practice.
This study highlights the need for medical students and residents to receive specific education in digital health and telemedicine. Introducing curricula and courses in this domain is critical to addressing the challenges of digital healthcare.
COVID-19 大流行加速了数字技术在医疗保健领域的融合。远程医疗显然已成为一项重要工具，具有多种优势。然而，医疗保健专业人员技术技能和能力不足等各种障碍可能会阻碍其有效实施。学者们已经研究了未来医生的准备情况，其中一些研究在 COVID-19 危机之前或期间探讨了他们的准备情况。然而，文献中关于大流行后的时期存在明显的差距。本研究旨在通过检查两个主要方面来确定当前医学教育计划中的差距：（1）技术准备（包括一般和与健康相关的数字能力）和（2）行为准备，其中包括医学生和住院医师在远程医疗教育和实施方面的先前经验和未来意向。
使用基于网络的问卷对意大利北部一所主要大学的医学生和住院医师进行了横断面研究。对调查结果进行了分析，以确定他们的分布是否因性别和教育程度等人口统计学变量而有所不同。
最常拥有的技术是笔记本电脑和智能手机，智能手机被认为最容易使用，而台式电脑则带来了更多挑战。大约 38%的受访者表示在决策过程中应用数字健康信息时感到担忧。个人和学术经验都非常缺乏，只有 16%的学生和住院医师在大学环境中使用过远程医疗。尽管如此，83%的参与者表示希望接受远程医疗培训，81%的人愿意在学术生涯中尝试使用它。此外，76%的受访者表示有兴趣将远程医疗纳入未来的临床实践中。
本研究强调了医学生和住院医师需要接受数字健康和远程医疗方面的特定教育。在该领域引入课程和课程对于应对数字医疗保健的挑战至关重要。
