Impact of Telehealth on Clinical Education in Adolescent Medicine

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Impact of Telehealth on Clinical Education in Adolescent Medicine

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic propelled into motion a rapid transition of many aspects of society across the globe, as life as we once knew it transformed over a period of weeks. While telehealth has been a well-established means of providing clinical services for over a decade, the global pandemic has brought it to the forefront as a crucial means of providing continued access to care while minimizing disease transmission.

Existing literature has shown that many components of adolescent health care can be provided effectively through telehealth. In the past year, several academic institutions in the United States have also published on the challenges, opportunities, and impact of a rapid scale-up of telehealth use in Adolescent Medicine in the setting of the pandemic. However, with academic medical centers worldwide converting much of their clinical care to telehealth, the educational opportunities and roles of medical trainees have shifted as well. Given the extraordinary nature of the pandemic, there have been varied approaches to managing trainees, ranging from complete discouragement of participation in clinical care to throwing trainees into action or fast-tracking students to graduate early to enable their participation in clinical care.

Keeping trainees engaged and on the frontline is viewed by some as a great teaching opportunity despite the fact that their participation potentially increases their exposure to disease. Many would argue that it promotes critical thinking skills essential for growth. On the other hand, trainees left at home on the sideline may feel excluded, wondering how they could meaningfully contribute to clinical care and further their education. Telehealth, however, has thus far proven to be a solution in bridging this gap, enabling medical trainees to safely observe and participate in patient care remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic

Regards

Alex John

Editorial Assistant

Clinical Pediatric: Open Access