ABSTRACT
Telemedicine is increasingly being used as a means of triaging referrals, educating primary care physicians and - in some circumstances - replacing face-to-face appointments. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, its use has exponentially risen. It is vital to consider how clinicians are taught to practice this form of medicine, as it is significantly different from 'routine clinical practice'. This review aimed to consider the current evidence for the methods used when teaching telemedicine and, more specifically, teledermatology and the effectiveness of these methods. Database searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science and Education Research Complete. Search terms related to telemedicine/teledermatology and education/learning were used. Titles and s were independently screened by two reviewers according to the eligibility criteria, followed by the full texts. Results were extracted and analysed thematically. Critical appraisal was undertaken. Eleven studies were included in the review from the 451 identified. Some studies were poorly designed and open to sources of bias, confounding factors and limited reliability. Teaching methods identified included continuous feedback to trainees, training via an online platform, reviewing prior exposure to telemedicine and different telemedicine modalities (still photographs vs. videos). Four themes were identified in the results of the papers: concordance rates between clinicians, knowledge acquisition, clinician confidence and its use as an educational tool. Multiple methods of telemedicine education are used. Generally, trainees that have more exposure to it are more confident in undertaking it in ongoing clinical practice. There is evidence that there is an element of knowledge acquisition associated with tele-education, but that it is not necessarily sustained long term. The use of videos to supplement still images in consultations appears to be superior. Future work to assess the effectiveness of different teaching methods should be considered a priority with the explosion of telemedicine undertaken since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.