Videos That Prepare Students and Providers for Telehealth Interpersonal Skills

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth adoption was limited due to inadequate training, understanding, and narrow beliefs regarding telehealth. As a result of the pandemic, many universities halted all in-person education and transitioned to online platforms. Healthcare professionals were found providing telehealth services without having acquired the needed knowledge or experience. Eastern Virginia Medical School in conjunction with faculty from Old Dominion University’s Center for Telehealth-Innovation, Education, and Research (C-TIER) developed a two-week Clerkship for third-year medical students with the goal of preparing them for telehealth clinical experiences. Prior to this experience, the students had not had exposure to telehealth. The course was presented 100% virtually. Course content included traditional didactic content, with the addition of a series of training videos produced by C-TIER. These videos focus on interpersonal skills or unique telehealth etiquette needed for a successful telehealth encounter.