To evaluate resident perceptions of a longitudinal teleneurology curriculum.
Thirty residents (post-graduate year two through four) participated in a novel year-long teleneurology curriculum, including lectures, interactive workshops, online modules, and level-specific simulated cases with standardized patients.
We administered an anonymous Qualtrics survey to participating residents at curriculum initiation and completion, assessing their perspectives on teleneurology education.
Ten residents completed the initial and 13 completed the follow-up survey (response rate 30% and 43%, respectively). Compared to prior, after the curriculum residents perceived lectures and informal attending feedback less useful (70% to 23%, and 90% to 77%, respectively). Online modules and simulated cases were perceived equally as useful (30% to 23% and 40% to 46%, respectively) before and after the curriculum, although formal clinical attending evaluations associated with simulations were perceived more useful (50% to 61%). Respondents also shifted in self-perception of teleneurology knowledgeability, from not at all/slightly knowledgeable to moderately/extremely knowledgeable, particularly regarding medico-legal issues (40% to 51%), ethics (50% to 69%), infrastructure (40% to 61%), and billing (20% to 38%), however not selection of appropriate patient conditions for teleneurology (70% to 69%). Respondents had no overall change in self-perceived confidence in teleneurology clinical competencies after the curriculum, including technology use (90% to 92%), telepresence and rapport (100% to 92%), examination, diagnosis, and triage (overall, 93% to 91%), and efficiency (80% to 77%). They were less confident in educating patients on teleneurology encounter set-up (80% to 69%), and more so in documentation (80% to 93%) and collaborating remotely with medical teams (50% to 61%).
Although limited by sample size and survey response rate, our findings have guided educational content and delivery, and allocation of faculty efforts and workflow, in a subsequent teleneurology curriculum iteration. Similar multi-center curricular evaluation may suggest necessary updates in residency milestones inclusive of teleneurology knowledge and skills.