ORCID
- Krithika Anil: 0000-0002-8027-1665
- Jenny Freeman: 0000-0002-4072-9758
- Sally Abey: 0000-0002-9330-6564
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.
Publication Date
2025-03-19
Publication Title
Telemedicine Reports
Volume
6
Issue
1
Keywords
education, telehealth, training, allied health professionals
First Page
76
Last Page
90
Recommended Citation
Anil, K., Bird, A., Bridgman, K., Erickson, S., Freeman, J., McKinstry, C., Robinson, C., & Abey, S. (2025) 'Telehealth Training and Education for Allied Health Professionals: A Scoping Review', Telemedicine Reports, 6(1), pp. 76-90. Available at: 10.1089/tmr.2024.0083
