Teleconsultation Competencies in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Critical Narrative Review and Evidence-Gap Analysis
Wojciech Michał Glinkowski, Rafał Doniec, Tomasz Cedro, Bartłomiej Michalak, Aldona Katarzyna Jankowska, Andrzej ŚliwczyńskiBackground:
The rapid expansion of telemedicine has increased the relevance of teleconsultations in everyday clinical practice. However, the manner in which teleconsultation competencies are conceptualized, taught, and assessed in undergraduate medical education remains unclear.
Methods:
A narrative review was conducted using a transparent methodology to identify and select studies. Several bibliographic databases were searched using predefined eligibility criteria, focusing on educational interventions that specifically targeted teleconsultation competencies among undergraduate medical students. The selection process emphasized conceptual clarity, curricular intent, and the inclusion of empirically reported educational outcomes. The eligibility criteria were intentionally designed to identify studies that explicitly conceptualized teleconsultation as a distinct undergraduate clinical competency.
Results:
The search process yielded 199 records. After screening and comprehensive full-text evaluation, only one study explicitly conceptualized teleconsultation as a distinct undergraduate clinical competency and met all predefined eligibility criteria. This study details a structured educational intervention that frames teleconsultation as a distinct clinical competency. The outcomes concerning communication, clinical reasoning in virtual environments, technical aspects of teleconsultation, and components of remote physical examination were reported.
Conclusions:
The principal finding was the identification of substantial evidence gaps in the conceptualization, assessment, and longitudinal teaching of teleconsultation competencies. Current evidence regarding the instruction of teleconsultation competencies in undergraduate medical education is limited. The prevailing literature addresses telemedicine primarily as a mode of care delivery rather than emphasizing teleconsultation as a distinct clinical skill. These observations highlight a discrepancy between contemporary clinical practice and undergraduate training, emphasizing the need for well-defined educational frameworks that incorporate teleconsultation competencies.