Telehealth as a medical education tool during the COVID-19 pandemic: experience report

Abstract

Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic interrupted and challenged the traditional structure of medical education, based on face-to-face teaching, and, as a measure of support for the efforts of government agencies to reduce the risk of spreading the disease, distance became necessary. medical/patient care and the increase in the supply of telehealth services by health systems. In Brazil, the telehealth model seeks to improve the quality of care in primary health care (PHC), integrating education and service through tele-education and tele-assistance activities, such as teleconsulting, the Second Formative Opinion (SOF), tele-education and telediagnosis. Thus, this article reports the experience of medical students in telehealth actions during the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil, seeking to clarify the contributions and limitations of this experience in the teaching-learning process in the context of medical education. Experience report: Participation in the project allowed the experience of various telehealth activities under the supervision and guidance of professors in the health area, in addition to the production of informative and educational materials. The proposed activities allowed for the improvement of clinical reasoning through evidence-based medicine (EBM), especially in helping teleconsultations and frequently asked questions. Discussion: The use of technologies became indispensable during the pandemic, and, within this scenario, a telehealth project proved to be an important and effective strategy for continuing education among professionals and health education for the community, avoiding crowding and preventing the spread of the virus. In addition, remote actions, such as teleconsultations, resolution of frequently asked questions and tele-education, proved to be an important strategy for accessing health care not only in times of pandemic. Conclusion: Our experience made it possible to foster critical thinking and disseminate content in a safe, technical and evidence-based way. The exercise of clinical reasoning led us to an experience of great value and to believe that the inclusion of the practice of telehealth can bring important gains to the curriculum of Medicine courses.

Changes in the Educational Scenario Post Pandemic: The Challenges of Teachers and Students in Medical Training

“…The implementation of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic has played a crucial role in the training of medical students, providing an innovative and adaptive approach to clinical teaching. Telemedicine offered students the unique opportunity to participate in virtual consultations, enriching their practical experience even amid social distancing restrictions (MASSUCATO, et al 2021).…”

Tecnologias Digitais Na Educação

“…Deste modo, o uso de ferramentas digitais, foi uma alternativa para continuar com as atividades de forma remota, coibindo a disseminação do vírus. Nesta óptica, a utilização da tecnologia de serviços de "telessaúde", principalmente, quando se fala da atenção primária, foi primordial para possibilitar uma qualidade de tratamento e promoção da educação (10) .…”

“…Já no pós-pandemia, as estratégias de educação em saúde, divulgadas pelo Ministério da Saúde, são relacionadas ao Coronavírus e tem foco na vacinação, principalmente infantil. Tendo a última Nota Técnica n⁰ 37/2022 sendo referente a recomendação da 2⁰ dose de reforço das vacinas contra a COVID-19 em trabalhadores da saúde (10,11,12) .…”

A COVID-19 self-isolation monitoring module for FMUI undergraduate medical students: Linking learning and service needs during the pandemic surge in Indonesia

“…Reports on students' run telemedicine programs during the pandemic for different purposes in patient care have been reported in different regions. For example, the medical student-run telemedicine clinic through an academic medical centreoperated syringe services program in Florida [26], the medical student-run telemedicine elective program to provide telehealth follow-up for recently discharged patients with COVID-19 in Texas [27], and teleconsultation activities under the supervision to improve clinical reasoning and evidence-based practices of medical students in Brazil [28]. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused limitations in medical students' learning process, especially those in the clinical phase.…”