Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41446813›Full record

ArticleTelemedicine reports2025

Allied Health Students' Experiences of Telehealth Within Coursework and During Placement: A Survey Study.

Kate Bridgman, Shane Erickson, Krithika Anil, Adam Bird, Jenny Freeman, Carol McKinstry, Christie Robinson, Sally Abey

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Telemedicine reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Kate BridgmanSchool of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6155-3763
Shane EricksonSchool of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.
Krithika AnilSchool of Health Professions, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom.
Adam BirdSchool of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Victoria, Australia.
Jenny FreemanSchool of Health Professions, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom.
Carol McKinstryLa Trobe Rural Health School, Violet Vines Marshman Centre for Rural Health Research, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.
Christie RobinsonSchool of Health Professions, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom.
Sally AbeySchool of Health Professions, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Despite growing professional utilization, there is limited understanding of how allied health students are prepared for telehealth practice through academic coursework and placements. This study investigates students' exposure to telehealth education, their perceptions of preparedness, and the competencies they believe are needed for graduate practice. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between October 2024 and March 2025 across two Australian universities offering 24 allied health courses. The survey, adapted from existing tools and informed by telehealth competency frameworks, collected quantitative and qualitative data on students' telehealth learning experiences, placement exposure, and perceived competency needs. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyze and interpret the data. Results: Of the 108 respondents from 21 disciplines, only 30% reported receiving telehealth education in their coursework, with most learning limited to background knowledge and delivered via online lectures or self-directed modules. Practical skills such as telehealth session setup and communication were less frequently taught, and only 9.3% of students were assessed on telehealth competencies. Placement exposure was similarly limited, with 25% of students engaging in telehealth activities, primarily through observation. Students rated placement support more positively than coursework preparation. Content analysis revealed strong alignment between student-identified graduate competencies and published telehealth frameworks, including technical proficiency, communication, clinical adaptation, and ethical considerations. Discussion: Findings highlight significant gaps in telehealth education across allied health programs. Students expressed a preference for hands-on, experiential learning and identified a need for structured, competency-based curricula. The lack of assessment and inconsistent integration of telehealth content suggest poor alignment between learning outcomes and educational delivery. Educators should adopt established telehealth competency frameworks and enhance both academic and placement-based training to better prepare students for using telehealth in contemporary practice.

Indexed as

allied health studentseducationtelehealthtraining

Identifiers

PMID41446813
PMCPMC12725421

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.