At the forefront of patient-centered medical technology, telemedicine has been gaining traction for quite some time, but its emergence as the future of patient care is only now crystallizing. In an industry as transformative as healthcare it is difficult to create a consistent curriculum that is also congruent with the times – which may be why The American Medical Association is so determined to introduce telemedicine into medical school curricula.
In an announcement released on Wednesday, the AMA declares it’s awareness of the deficit suffered by medical schools in the realm of telemedicine, and announces a new policy directed at ensuring students receive an education on telemedicine practices. This new policy supports the inclusion of telemedicine education in both undergraduate and graduate level courses in an effort to dismantle the barriers standing in the way of telemedicine’s perceived legitimacy.
Robert M. Wah, M.D., AMA’s immediate past president boasts the benefits of telemedicine implementation in a statement, “In particular, exposure to and evidence-based instruction in telemedicine’s capabilities and limitations at all levels of physician education will be essential to harnessing its potential”. This speaks volumes to the predicted impact of telemedicine in accessing an extended population and promoting truly global health.
Creating a new generation of physicians who are educated in innovative patient-care regimes will facilitate the continued evolution of healthcare and improve the lives of many. This forward thinking policy is one of many instituted by the AMA and a number of other medical schools who are striving towards the creation of the medical school of the future.
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