JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The rapid expansion of telehealth underscores the need for comprehensive telehealth education among healthcare professionals. Despite increasing recognition of telehealth’s importance, many practitioners remain underprepared, particularly in navigating legal aspects, technology, and patient engagement.

Objective:

To evaluate the impact of an online telehealth training course on healthcare professionals’ telehealth acceptance and their perceived barriers to telehealth adoption.

Methods:

An interventional study with a pre-post design was employed in Austria. A total of 365 health professionals enrolled in an asynchronous online course covering general telehealth principles (concepts, legal and technical aspects, practical implementation) and profession-specific content (e.g., nursing, speech therapy, physiotherapy). Of these, 217 completed the course and 185 met inclusion criteria for analysis. Participants’ telehealth acceptance (covering telemetry, telephasis, and telepraxis) and perceived barriers were assessed via standardized questionnaires before and after the course. Satisfaction with the training was measured post-intervention using the Training Evaluation Inventory (TEI). Qualitative insights were gathered from open-ended survey questions and two focus groups, transcribed and summarized.

Results:

Post-intervention, overall telehealth acceptance increased significantly (p < 0.001, r = 0.21), particularly for telemetry (remote assessment and monitoring), telepraxis (remote interventions), video call–based, and asynchronous telehealth. Perceived barriers to telehealth use – such as uncertainty about legal frameworks, data protection, and reduced quality of care – diminished significantly (p < 0.001, r = 0.39). Post-intervention satisfaction was high, with a total median Training Evaluation Inventory score of 76 (IQR: 13). Participants rated the course highly for its clarity, breadth of content, and inclusion of profession-specific modules. Qualitative feedback highlighted a desire for more hands-on demonstrations, interactive components, and guidance on institutional support and patient accessibility.

Conclusions:

A structured, on-demand telehealth course significantly improved health professionals’ awareness, acceptance and intention to use telehealth and reduced perceived barriers. While the findings highlight that targeted online training can increase clinicians' confidence and readiness to use telehealth, it remains uncertain whether this will lead to an increase in its utilization. Future initiatives should incorporate blended-learning formats with additional practical examples, real-time discussions, and ongoing support to enhance long-term integration of telehealth into clinical workflows. On a policy level we suggest coordinated actions at the EU, national, and institutional levels to standardize telehealth education and facilitate its practical implementation in everyday clinical practice.