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Cited by 8Telemedicine and Telehealth ImplementationInnovations in Medical EducationHealth and Medical Education

Telehealth Training and Education for Allied Health Professionals: A Scoping Review

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Anil, Krithika, Bird, Adam, Bridgman, Kate, Erickson, Shane, Freeman, Jenny, McKinstry, Carol, Robinson, Christie, Abey, Sally·2025·Telemedicine Reports
DOI 10.1089/tmr.2024.0083PMC PMC12040532
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Abstract

Background: With the growing adoption of telehealth in allied health disciplines, establishing clear training and education standards is crucial. This review aims to map the current training and education that has been delivered to support development of telehealth competencies in allied health professionals. This scoping review extends our previous review with an updated search. Methods: The Population Concept Context framework was used, and the following databases were searched: MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Cochrane, EMBASE, Web of Science, PEDro, United Kingdom Health Forum, WHO, Health Education England, and all U.K. and Australian Allied Health Profession (AHP) professional bodies. Results: Out of 1,05,980 articles, 12 met the inclusion criteria. Training and education differed greatly, with no definite pattern in teaching approaches. Three articles used standardized questionnaires for training and education assessment, while the remaining articles used author-designed assessments. Eight articles reported that participants achieved the targeted telehealth competencies, and five reported improved attitudes toward telehealth following training and education. Articles recommended various factors that may improve telehealth training and education outcomes, which included a combination of online and face-to-face methods, interprofessional training, consolidation of their skills through supervised clinical work, and separating video and telehealth competencies. Discussion: This scoping review represents the first comprehensive exploration of telehealth training and education across allied health disciplines. While articles yielded generally positive outcomes, the absence of standardized methods prompts questions about its efficacy. Research should focus on developing evidence-based curriculums informed by pedagogic practices tailored to allied health needs.

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  • Structured educational approaches, such as online courses and simulation-based training, are significantly more effective than improvised or passive formats.

    “Moreover, both studies [39,40] indicate that structured educational approaches, such as online courses and simulation-based training, are significantly more effective than improvised or passive formats, like written instructions.”

    From Patient safety risk associated with synchronous telehealth: A scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as [39]

    The Abstract (Results) reports that participants achieved targeted telehealth competencies in eight included studies, and the Results (Telehealth training and education) describe online courses and simulations. But the review reports no definitive pattern in teaching approaches and does not establish that structured approaches were significantly more effective than improvised formats or written instructions; the Discussion calls for further research on what optimizes learning. (LLM, conf=0.83)

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Authors
Anil, K., Bird, A., Bridgman, K., Erickson, S., Freeman, J., McKinstry, C., Robinson, C., & Abey, S.
Affiliations
  • University of Plymouth (GB)
  • La Trobe University (AU)
  • School of Health Professions, University of Plymouth, United Kingdom.
Corresponding author
Anil, Krithika
ORCID
Venue
Telemedicine Reports
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2025-01-01
Volume
6
Issue
1
Pages
76-90
ISSN
2692-4366 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1089/tmr.2024.0083
PMC
PMC12040532
OpenAlex
W4408588075
Cited by
8
References
48
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 3
FWCI
1.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Telemedicine Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PEARL (University of Plymouth) (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Innovations in Medical Education
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health and Medical Education
Keywords
telemedicine, allied health professionals, telehealth education, telehealth competencies, professional education, competency assessment, interprofessional education, blended learning, supervised clinical practice, curriculum development

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