Call for papers - Telemedicine in medical education

BMC Medical Education is calling for papers to a new Collection focused on Telemedicine in medical education.

Telemedicine, once considered a complementary tool, has now become central to how healthcare is practiced, especially in the wake of global health crises and technological advancements. As we witness this shift, the way we train future healthcare professionals must evolve to match the changing landscape.

The integration of telemedicine into medical education raises a host of important questions and opportunities, such as how can educators best equip students to thrive in virtual healthcare settings? What are the implications of remote care for clinical skills training, patient communication, and ethical decision-making? This Collection seeks to explore these questions and more, fostering a deeper understanding of how telemedicine is being—and should be—incorporated into medical curricula around the world.

We invite submissions on a variety of topics that explore the intersection of telemedicine and medical education, including but not limited to:

• Curriculum development and integration: How are medical schools adapting their curricula to include telemedicine training? What core competencies must students develop to be effective in remote care settings, and how are these being assessed?
• Clinical skills and telemedicine: In a field that traditionally relies on hands-on patient interactions, how can telemedicine training ensure that students master critical clinical skills? What role do virtual simulations and remote consultations play in clinical education?
• Telemedicine ethics and professionalism: As healthcare increasingly moves online, how are educators teaching the nuances of ethical decision-making, patient confidentiality, and professionalism in telemedicine environments? What new ethical challenges arise in virtual care settings?
• Interprofessional collaboration through telemedicine: Telemedicine has the potential to enhance collaboration across healthcare disciplines. How is this being taught and modeled in medical education? What are the best practices for fostering interprofessional teamwork in telemedicine training?
• Patient communication and telemedicine: Effective communication is crucial to successful patient outcomes in telemedicine. How are medical students being trained to manage virtual consultations, build rapport, and ensure that patients understand their care in a digital format?
• Equity and access in telemedicine education: Telemedicine has the potential to reduce healthcare disparities by improving access to care, but it can also exacerbate them if not implemented thoughtfully. How are medical schools addressing issues of equity in telemedicine training? What strategies are being developed to ensure that future doctors can provide high-quality remote care to diverse patient populations?
• Technology adoption and digital literacy: As telemedicine tools evolve, how can medical educators ensure that students are proficient with the latest technologies? What are the challenges and opportunities of integrating rapidly advancing telemedicine platforms into educational settings?

Telemedicine is poised to transform healthcare delivery, and the education of future healthcare professionals must adapt accordingly. This Collection aims to gather insights, research, and innovative practices that will help shape the future of medical education in the digital age. By bringing together contributions from educators, researchers, and clinicians, we hope to foster a global dialogue on how best to prepare medical students for the evolving demands of the profession.

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.

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