Blended telehealth course raises health students’ confidence and acceptance

A seven-module blended telehealth course was associated with modest improvements in technology confidence, broader gains in telehealth acceptance and stronger intentions to use remote consultations among multidisciplinary health professions students. In the large pre-post evaluation, 267 students completed the initial assessment and 111 completed the follow-up, a retention rate of 41.2%. Among those assessed twice, mean technology confidence rose from 14.9 to 16.3 points, while the total score on a technology-acceptance model increased from 14.1 to 18.5 points.

The study evaluated a course combining self-paced online modules with a live telehealth simulation workshop. All seven modules were embedded in the university’s learning management system, allowing the course to mix independent study with simulated remote encounters. Participants came from four health professions: physiotherapy represented 61.4% of the pre-assessment cohort, audiology 19.1%, speech pathology 16.1% and nursing 3.4%. Women accounted for 73.5% of the initial group, and 94.0% of participants were aged 29 or younger.

Researchers measured technology self-efficacy with a 22-item scale adapted from the Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment Questionnaire for 21st Century Learning. In the group completing both assessments, mean technology confidence increased from 14.9, with a standard deviation of 4.4, to 16.3, with a standard deviation of 4.0; the change was statistically significant at p less than 0.001. The investigators also used subscales of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model, or UTAUT2, to assess telehealth acceptance. Its total score increased from 14.1, with a standard deviation of 7.0, to 18.5, with a standard deviation of 7.2, with p equal to 0.007. Scores improved on all nine UTAUT2 dimensions by at least p less than 0.05.

Intentions to use telehealth also shifted after the course. The proportion of follow-up participants reporting that they intended to conduct live synchronous consultations frequently or always rose from 36.4% to 54.1%, with p less than 0.01. For asynchronous client monitoring, the corresponding proportion increased from 63.2% to 76.2%, also with p less than 0.01. These findings concern students’ reported intentions, not observed clinical behavior, and the pre-post evaluation does not establish whether graduates will retain the changes or use telehealth similarly in professional practice.

The principal limitation is the substantial loss of participants between assessments: only 111 of the 267 students who completed the pre-assessment supplied post-course data. Students who returned may have differed from those who did not, affecting how broadly the results represent the original cohort. The measured score increases support the authors’ conclusion that the brief blended curriculum can improve foundational telehealth self-efficacy, acceptance and intended future use among the students studied. The research does not, however, demonstrate long-term retention, improved patient care or clinical benefits after graduation.

Subject of Research: Pre-post evaluation of a blended telehealth course for multidisciplinary health professions students

Article Title: Evaluating telehealth self-efficacy and acceptance in multi-disciplinary health professions students: a large-scale pre-post evaluation

Article References: Merolli, M., & Mariño, R. (2026). Evaluating telehealth self-efficacy and acceptance in multi-disciplinary health professions students: a large-scale pre-post evaluation. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10310-x

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12909-026-10310-x

Keywords: telehealth, health professions education, technology self-efficacy, technology acceptance, UTAUT2, simulation training, digital health education, remote consultations, asynchronous monitoring, Evaluating, self-efficacy, acceptance