About this Research Topic
Telehealth has demonstrated rapid and expansive adoption among mental health providers. Literature related to provider utilization has suggested that a research-informed understanding of how to integrate the technologies, as well as strategies of adapting face-to-face methods are essential to a successful telehealth service. As with other novel healthcare proficiencies; an ethical, legal, research-informed, and safe telehealth practice requires the development of multiple knowledge-based and applied skill-based competencies. Although telehealth has become ubiquitous among providers, comprehensive educational activities have remained relatively limited and fragmented, as has the evaluation of providers competency in implementation. As a result, literature has highlighted the need for both foundational and ongoing telehealth education among providers to foster optimal care. To foster provider training and subsequent positive clinical outcomes, greater field-wide effort must be made to develop and assess telehealth educational programming.
The goal of this research topic is to address a gap in the literature and contribute to the field in order to foster greater access to research-informed telehealth education/training programming for mental health providers of all levels (i.e., students, interns, fellows, residents, licensed providers). The topic aims to fill this need by consolidating efforts to clarify: (a) what programs and models are available, (b) what novel training methods or models are being developed, (c) how such programs quantitatively and qualitatively perform to foster appropriate telehealth practices, (d) and what steps must be taken for future evolution. As telehealth continues to evolve and become increasingly popular, it is important that research-informed methods of educating and training providers are developed and evaluated to guide ethical, legal, evidence-informed, and safe provider usage to not only maximize outcomes, but to reduce challenges that arise from the use of technology in clinical practice.
Quantitative and qualitative original research articles, surveys, brief reports, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses are most welcome. Foci of the education can include students, interns, fellows, residents, or licensed providers who conduct mental health-related telehealth services (i.e., psychology, psychiatry, medicine, counseling, social work). Submissions can include, but are necessarily limited to:
-Preliminary or full-scale implementation of telehealth education/training programming.
-Preliminary or full-scale evaluation of pre-existing telehealth education/training programming.
-Telehealth competency development.
-Critical field review/evaluation of telehealth educational and training programming.
-Critical field review/evaluation of telehealth educational and training competencies.
-Novel approaches to telehealth education/training.
For clarification as to whether your idea may fit this special topic, please reach out to Jonathan Perle.
Jonathan G Perle has a telehealth-focused book through Routledge for which he receives royalties, and serves on the editorial board with the Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science.
The goal of this research topic is to address a gap in the literature and contribute to the field in order to foster greater access to research-informed telehealth education/training programming for mental health providers of all levels (i.e., students, interns, fellows, residents, licensed providers). The topic aims to fill this need by consolidating efforts to clarify: (a) what programs and models are available, (b) what novel training methods or models are being developed, (c) how such programs quantitatively and qualitatively perform to foster appropriate telehealth practices, (d) and what steps must be taken for future evolution. As telehealth continues to evolve and become increasingly popular, it is important that research-informed methods of educating and training providers are developed and evaluated to guide ethical, legal, evidence-informed, and safe provider usage to not only maximize outcomes, but to reduce challenges that arise from the use of technology in clinical practice.
Quantitative and qualitative original research articles, surveys, brief reports, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses are most welcome. Foci of the education can include students, interns, fellows, residents, or licensed providers who conduct mental health-related telehealth services (i.e., psychology, psychiatry, medicine, counseling, social work). Submissions can include, but are necessarily limited to:
-Preliminary or full-scale implementation of telehealth education/training programming.
-Preliminary or full-scale evaluation of pre-existing telehealth education/training programming.
-Telehealth competency development.
-Critical field review/evaluation of telehealth educational and training programming.
-Critical field review/evaluation of telehealth educational and training competencies.
-Novel approaches to telehealth education/training.
For clarification as to whether your idea may fit this special topic, please reach out to Jonathan Perle.
Jonathan G Perle has a telehealth-focused book through Routledge for which he receives royalties, and serves on the editorial board with the Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science.
Keywords: Telehealth, telepsychology, telemedicine, telepsychiatry, telemental health, telebehavioral health, digital health, competency, training, education, skills
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
