Educating Medical Students on Telehealth Best Practices Using Standardized Patient Encounters

Project Overview

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has identified the need for telemedicine training to ensure a supply of competent providers. However, there are significant lack of opportunities to adequately train medical students during actual patient encounters. Standardized patient (SP) encounters permit medical trainees to practice clinical skills on live actors and have been shown to be an effective form of education and assessment.

Project Goal: Demonstrate that SP encounters is an effective method for equipping medical students with effective telehealth skills, including communication, clinical assessment, and use of technology. Develop and integrate structured curriculum for medical students using SP encounters.

Using standardized patients and simulated encounters will serve the rural and underserved areas.  The University of Mississippi Medical Center is the only medical school in the State of Mississippi and only admits students that are in state with the idea of retaining them within the state after graduation to serve the rural and underserved areas.  Almost all counties in the state are designated underserved by HRSA.  If the medical students graduate with a better understanding of Telehealth skills, it would enable them to offer Telehealth to the underserved population in the state and thus improve access to healthcare.