COVID-19’s Effect on Medical Students’ Digital Health Perceptions and Intentions (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of digital health (dHealth) technologies in medical practice. Despite this, medical curricula often provide limited exposure to these technologies. OBJECTIVE This study investigates the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical students’ intentions to integrate dHealth technologies into their future practice. METHODS We employed a two-phase survey at the University of Montreal’s medical school to assess changes in perceptions before (N=184) and after (N=138) the pandemic. The survey used component-based structural equation modeling (SEM) and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to analyze our dataset. RESULTS Findings indicate limited exposure to dHealth technologies within the medical curriculum. However, there was a strong consensus on the necessity of formal dHealth training. A notable shift towards the acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) and telehealth tools was observed, emphasizing the pandemic’s significant role in altering students' views on these technologies. CONCLUSIONS The study advocates for the integration of formal dHealth training in medical curricula to better prepare future physicians for the demands of an increasingly digital healthcare landscape. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced medical students' perceptions, highlighting the urgent need to adapt medical education to include comprehensive dHealth training.