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Using telehealth to broaden access to medical student mental health care in a distributive education model
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Using telehealth to broaden access to medical student mental health care in a distributive education model

Bisan A Salhi, Stacy B Ellen, Carolyn Giordano, Jill Adaman, Diane Gottlieb and Seema Baranwal
Academic medicine, v 101(2), pp 171-174
06 Dec 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acamed/wvaf087
PMID: 41627290
url
https://doi.org/10.1093/acamed/wvaf087View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Maybe Open Access (Publisher Bronze),  Open

Abstract

Education, Medical, Undergraduate - methods Female Health Services Accessibility Humans Male Models, Educational Students, Medical - psychology Students, Medical - statistics & numerical data Surveys and Questionnaires Telemedicine - statistics & numerical data Mental Health Services
Medical students have high needs for mental health care. Traditional models of campus-based health care have limitations in meeting medical students' unique needs, including hours of accessibility, diversity of practitioners, and geographic limitations in a distributed educational model. Internal surveys performed before and after a Liaison Committee on Medical Education accreditation survey showed that students had low rates of satisfaction with access to mental health services. A working group was formed at the Drexel University College of Medicine in fall 2022 to analyze student feedback on access to mental health care 2 years before (2020 and 2022) and 1 year after (2024) 1 telehealth intervention. On the basis of the student feedback desiring after-hours care and diverse practitioners and within the context of a distributive medical education model, telehealth was considered a promising way to meet students' needs. On the basis of student priorities, a telehealth company with multiple service offerings (scheduled counseling, on-demand therapy available 24/7, psychiatry visits, and health coaching) was vetted and ultimately chosen to begin in the 2023 to 2024 academic year. Students readily adopted the use of telehealth services for their mental health needs. Approximately 15 months after implementation, nearly half of medical students in this study are registered for the telehealth service. Internal surveys after widespread use of the mobile app for 8 months showed improvements in students' satisfaction with available mental health resources. Telehealth mental health services can augment traditional, institutionally based practitioners. Moreover, students readily use telehealth services to meet their needs and perceive benefits from doing so. Next steps include evaluating whether students' engagement and satisfaction with telehealth services are sustained throughout medical school and reassessing the current fiscal model to ensure the service's long-term sustainability.

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