Assessing digital health curriculum needs: a mixed-methods study of student and faculty perspectives in a Singapore medical school.
Students in a medical program report high knowledge of digital health but low confidence in applying it practically, indicating a need for improved curriculum integration.
Where it sits
this study against the rest of the mgf (mechano growth factor) corpusSummary and findings
This study examined digital health education within an undergraduate medical program at a Singapore medical school. It involved semi-structured interviews with four faculty members and a survey of 131 students assessing their knowledge, attitudes, and usage of digital health tools. The findings highlighted gaps in practical application and confidence in digital health competencies among students.
Abstract
<h4>Background</h4>The rapid advancement of digital technologies has transformed healthcare delivery, creating an imperative for medical education to integrate digital health (DH) competencies into undergraduate training. Despite growing recognition of its importance, progress in embedding DH literacy within formal medical curricula has been uneven and slow.<h4>Objective</h4>This study examined DH education within an undergraduate medical programme by integrating faculty and student perspectives to identify curriculum development needs and inform evidence-based educational strategies.<h4>Design</h4>A mixed-methods study was conducted at a Singapore medical school offering a 5-year undergraduate curriculum. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four faculty members as DH content experts, exploring curriculum design, pedagogical strategies, and competency expectations. A 24-item survey assessing knowledge, attitudes, and usage of DH tools was administered to students across pre-clinical and clinical training, with 131 responses from 848 eligible participants. Qualitative data were analysed using grounded theory-based thematic analysis, whilst survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics.<h4>Results</h4>Faculty interviews identified three key themes: curriculum gaps requiring more practical and clinically-oriented DH teaching, structural barriers including time constraints and rapid technological change, and complex stakeholder ecosystem influencing curriculum development. Student survey results revealed a persistent theory-practice gap across DH domains. Students reported high self-perceived knowledge in DH applications and artificial intelligence (AI) but consistently lower confidence in practical application, particularly in electronic health records (EHR) and telemedicine. Clinical students paradoxically rated their EHR knowledge lowest despite greater clinical exposure. Students expressed strong interest in programming, data analytics, and hands-on AI, favouring applied DH skills with direct clinical relevance.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Medical curricula struggle to translate DH conceptual knowledge into practice, reconcile divergent competency expectations between students and faculty, and remain current amid rapid technological change. Tiered competency models, coupled with experiential learning approaches and continuous faculty development, represent a promising strategy for preparing future physicians for digitally enhanced healthcare delivery.<h4>Clinical trial number</h4>Not applicable.
Background
The study addresses the integration of digital health competencies into medical education, which is increasingly important due to advancements in healthcare technology. Prior research has indicated a lack of effective incorporation of digital health literacy into medical curricula. This study is significant as it seeks to identify curriculum development needs from both student and faculty perspectives to inform educational strategies.
Methods
A mixed-methods study design was employed at a Singapore medical school with a 5-year undergraduate curriculum. The study included semi-structured interviews with four faculty members and a survey of students, with a total of 131 responses from 848 eligible participants. The survey assessed knowledge, attitudes, and usage of digital health tools, while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results
The survey revealed that students perceived high knowledge in digital health applications but had lower confidence in practical applications. Clinical students rated their EHR knowledge lowest, despite having more clinical exposure. Faculty interviews identified curriculum gaps and structural barriers affecting digital health education.
Interpretation
The findings suggest a disconnect between theoretical knowledge and practical application of digital health competencies among students, which aligns with previous literature on educational gaps in this area. The effect sizes related to self-perceived knowledge versus practical confidence may indicate a clinically relevant issue, as students express a desire for more hands-on experience. Limitations include the small sample size and potential biases in self-reporting.
Key findings
- 131 responses from 848 eligible participants.
- Students reported high self-perceived knowledge in DH applications and AI but lower confidence in practical application.
- Clinical students rated their EHR knowledge lowest despite greater clinical exposure.
Limitations
- small sample size with 131 responses from 848 eligible participants
- qualitative data may not represent broader faculty perspectives
- study conducted at a single institution, limiting generalizability