Clinical Preceptorship in Virtual Healthcare Settings

Abstract

Clinical preceptorships that nurture virtual care competencies among family medicine residents or physicians in-training remain understudied. Guided by epistemological views of pragmatism and social constructivism, I designed and implemented a three-phase exploratory mixed-methods study to address the following research questions: • How is clinical preceptorship in virtual healthcare settings conceptualized within the field of postgraduate medical education? • What are the gaps in the way clinical preceptorship in virtual healthcare settings is conceptualized in the field of postgraduate medical education? • To what extent do preceptors involve, prepare, and assess family medicine residents in virtual healthcare settings? • How do preceptors assess and provide feedback to family medicine residents in virtual healthcare settings? In phase I, a scoping review identified 24 peer-reviewed articles (published before February 25, 2021) relevant to clinical precepting with postgraduate medical trainees in virtual healthcare settings. In a sequential manner, I then led a one-time online survey (phase II; n = 38) and key informant interviewing (phase III; n = 13) with preceptors of family medicine residents. National data confirmed that clinical precepting in virtual healthcare settings can be characterized by individual factors, preceptor-resident behaviors, and workplace artefacts. Additional insights supported preceptors’ ability to engage family medicine residents in virtual care activities, along with the constraints and strategies to supervise them effectively. Opportunities to assess competency are possible; however, preceptors identified gaps in assessment practices to identify underperformance in the virtual therapeutic frame. A key research deliverable is a thematic framework illustrating the experience of clinical precepting in virtual healthcare settings. Drawing on adaptive expertise, actor-network theory, and praxeology, the final article elucidates how this work contributes to educational solutions and research directions for competency-based family medicine education.