Telemedicine/telehealth: an international perspective. Telemedicine and medical/health education.

Abstract

TO DATE, medical education has not taken full advantage of the advances in information technology, especially the Internet.1 Except for experimental efforts, the vast majority of learners in the health professions continue to receive most of their training in traditional classrooms, lecture halls, and laboratories. Yet, telemedicine technology has the potential to transform professional medical/health education at all levels: undergraduate, graduate, and professional. Hereafter, the term “medical education” only will be used to simplify the discussion. It can shift the focus from the traditional teacher and classroom to a ubiquitous, learner-centered system. The need for fundamental change in the context, content, methods, and style of medical education is widely recognized. Indeed, the field is at a crossroads, and those who ignore advances in information technology in the medical education community risk being left behind. Still, educators must select the appropriate context, content, effective methods, and efficient delivery to fit the needs of the largest number of learners (a model of medical education is shown in Fig. 1). The basic task is how to educate physicians and other health professionals and how to maintain their knowledge and skill throughout their professional life. To be sure, the challenges are daunting, but they must be overcome if we are to improve the quality, breadth, and geographic range of professional medical education.