Often described as “Zoom medicine”, telehealth is far more than just virtual consultations. It represents a fundamental transformation in healthcare delivery, requiring new clinical, ethical and professional competencies from doctors.
Telehealth refers to the use of communication technologies to facilitate healthcare delivery, health education and remote monitoring. Telemedicine, a subset of telehealth, involves the provision of clinical services such as consultations, diagnoses, treatment and follow-up through audio, video or other digital platforms.
The long-term success of telehealth in the country depends not only on how healthcare systems are implemented and supported, but more critically on how future doctors are prepared to practise effectively in virtual care settings.
The rapid expansion of telemedicine during the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated its scalability. Since then, it has become embedded in routine healthcare practice globally.
In Malaysia, telemedicine adoption has been particularly evident in the private sector. Digital health platforms, home-based care providers and private hospitals have expanded teleconsultation services in response to evolving patient expectations and system demands.
This sustained growth underscores an urgent need for doctors who are adequately trained to practise telemedicine safely and effectively.
At the national level, telehealth is increasingly recognised as a key component of healthcare reform. The 13th Malaysia Plan continues to emphasise digitalisation and improvements to health information systems, including improved access to electronic medical records and digital platforms that support more connected care.
The government has also announced plans to extend telemedicine and e-health services to rural areas in Sabah and Sarawak. These efforts reflect a growing demand for doctors who are competent in delivering safe and quality telehealth care.
Despite rapid telehealth adoption, workforce readiness has yet to keep pace. Delivering care remotely requires far more than technological familiarity. It requires strong clinical reasoning, effective risk assessment, sound judgement on when physical examination is necessary, and high standards of professionalism.
Core requirements such as clear communication, accurate documentation, patient privacy and informed consent remain non-negotiable, as outlined by the Malaysian Medical Council.
Most importantly, building trust and therapeutic relationships with patients in a virtual setting is not intuitive and requires deliberate training. This reality places medical education at the centre of the telehealth conversation.
Studies consistently show that telehealth training is most effective when introduced early and reinforced throughout undergraduate medical education, rather than deferred to on-the-job learning.
While today’s medical students are generally digitally adept, technological comfort does not automatically translate into safe clinical judgement, effective virtual examination or empathetic communication. Without structured and formal training, the risk of inconsistent practice and preventable safety concerns increase as telemedicine becomes routine.
Medical schools are therefore uniquely positioned to lead this transformation. By integrating simulation-based learning, competency-based frameworks for communication and clinical reasoning, and formal assessment of telehealth competencies into their curricula, institutions can ensure that graduates are confident, ethical and adaptable practitioners.
This approach also supports health equity. As telemedicine expands into rural and underserved communities, doctors must be prepared to practise responsibly within resource-limited settings.
Digital access should elevate standards of care.
As Malaysia continues to invest in digital health infrastructure, equal emphasis must be placed on developing the human capabilities required to sustain it. Telehealth competence is no longer an optional skill; it is fast becoming a core component of modern clinical practice.
Educating future-ready clinicians therefore requires more than technology alone. It calls for deliberate educational reform to ensure that tomorrow’s doctors can deliver high-quality, patient-centred care, whether in person or remotely.
Dr Chee Seok Chiong is an associate professor in paediatrics at the School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor’s University. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.
