Telehealth continues to evolve from an optional care modality into a routine component of clinical practice. Findings from the 2024 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Workforce Research Recap, highlight how increasing telehealth utilization is prompting many organizations to reassess educational curricula to better reflect modern care delivery needs. The integration of telehealth into education has significantly evolved for medical professionals. This is marked by the acceleration of virtual care. This shift is a profound transformation in health care delivery, emphasizing the importance of accessibility. The adoption of telehealth has notably increased, with a significant percentage of health care professionals incorporating it into their practice. The movement towards telehealth necessitates a reevaluation of educational curricula to ensure that health care professionals are prepared to utilize these technologies effectively.
Many academic training programs still incorporate telehealth only minimally. This variation in exposure may leave some early‑career clinicians less prepared for the hybrid environments they are likely to encounter.
Evidence increasingly suggests that structured telehealth education can make a measurable difference. Multiple studies summarized by HHS Telehealth Research show that telehealth care can increase access to health care services, reinforcing the need for clinician training that supports safe virtual delivery.
“Telehealth is no longer a niche skill, it’s a core clinical competency and many clinicians are now expected to practice telehealth without ever having been formally trained in it. Telehealth education gives providers the opportunity to develop and practice skills like virtual assessment, telepresence, and digital workflows, that simply aren’t covered in traditional training,” said Tina Gustin DNP, APRN, CNS, FAAN, American Heart Association volunteer expert and Director, Center for Telehealth Innovation, Education and Research (C-TIER).
To help address these gaps, the American Heart Association’s (Association) Center for Telehealth® offers evidence‑based online courses informed by interdisciplinary clinical, operational, and telehealth experts. These courses are designed around competencies shown in research and practice to be important for safe, effective virtual care.
“Clinicians need more than familiarity with technology; they need structured education that builds confidence, clinical judgment, and communication skills specific to virtual care. Enrolling in formal telehealth education helps ensure providers are prepared to deliver safe, high‑quality care, regardless of setting,” said Gustin. “As a result of COVID-19, many clinicians started doing telehealth with the flip of a switch, so, because they have been practicing telehealth for years now, they feel that they are competent, but they are not. Visits are still being done without the proper skills, and many clinicians are not aware of the physical assessments that can be done. Telehealth is far more than a “Zoom” visit.”
Key topics and courses from the Association’s Center for Telehealth include:
- Telecardiology and telestroke management and application
- Clinical best practices in remote assessment and monitoring
- Telepresence and communication strategies for virtual encounters
- Workflows that connect digital and in‑person care
- Regulatory, licensing, and reimbursement considerations
- Ethical frameworks that support privacy, trust, and equitable access
“Because these skills develop with training and practice, limited exposure may contribute to variations in provider confidence, care consistency and patient experience,” said Gustin. “The Association’s approach goes beyond introductory technology training and supports clinicians in building practical, clinically relevant telehealth skills.”
Integrating technology into medical interventions requires deliberate, patient‑centered design to guard against the adoption of technology driven by convenience or novelty rather than meaningful impact. The Association’s Center for Telehealth aims to help health systems achieve:
- Higher patient satisfaction with virtual care experiences
- More predictable and streamlined workflows
- Reduced adoption friction when new digital tools are introduced
- Better alignment between clinical and operational teams
- Stronger recruitment and retention, especially among early‑career clinicians
As hybrid care becomes more established, many institutions are reassessing how their curricula or workforce development programs reflect the reality of today’s care delivery environment. Programs that incorporate evidence‑informed telehealth competencies may be better positioned to prepare clinicians for modern practice. The Association’s Center for Telehealth’s research‑aligned courses and practical frameworks aim to help not only health care professionals and patients, but institutions to strengthen workforce readiness for the continued evolution of hybrid care.
Clinicians can further demonstrate their expertise by becoming a Certified Professional by the American Heart Association, with certification pathways available in Telehealth, Telehealth Stroke, Digital Health in Cardiac Care, Tobacco Treatment and Stroke Coordinator (coming May 2026) all accessible through the Association’s Professional Education Hub.
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