Research article | Open Access
International Journal of Educational Researchers 2025, Vol. 16(4) 72-85
Medical Students’ Intentions to Engage with Telemedicine Technologies and Strategies for Professional Development: A Qualitative Inquiry
pp. 72 - 85
Publish Date: December 18, 2025 | Single/Total View: 5/5 | Single/Total Download: 14/6
Abstract
This study, conducted as the qualitative phase of an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, explored medical students’ perceptions of their intentions to engage with telemedicine technologies and the professional development strategies they adopt during the adaptation process. Semi-structured individual interviews were carried out with medical students selected through purposive sampling and categorized according to their willingness to receive telemedicine training (willing, undecided, unwilling). Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Findings indicated that perceptions toward telemedicine varied by students’ prior knowledge and experience. Students with relatively higher knowledge and experience emphasized telemedicine’s potential to enhance clinical efficiency, facilitate access to care, and support professional development, whereas those with more limited knowledge and experience highlighted insufficient training, infrastructural constraints, and legal/ethical uncertainties as key barriers. Across groups, telemedicine was predominantly positioned as a complementary tool rather than a substitute for face-to-face clinical practice. Overall, the results suggest that students’ knowledge levels and exposure to structured educational experiences play an important role in strengthening their intentions to accept and use telemedicine, underscoring the value of practice-oriented telemedicine training that considers differing readiness levels within medical curricula.
Keywords: telemedicine, medical students, intention to engage, professional development strategies, medical education
APA 7th edition
Ozturk, Z.B., & Cetinkaya, L. (2025). Medical Students’ Intentions to Engage with Telemedicine Technologies and Strategies for Professional Development: A Qualitative Inquiry. International Journal of Educational Researchers, 16(4), 72-85.
Harvard
Ozturk, Z. and Cetinkaya, L. (2025). Medical Students’ Intentions to Engage with Telemedicine Technologies and Strategies for Professional Development: A Qualitative Inquiry. International Journal of Educational Researchers, 16(4), pp. 72-85.
Chicago 16th edition
Ozturk, Zehra Betul and Levent Cetinkaya (2025). "Medical Students’ Intentions to Engage with Telemedicine Technologies and Strategies for Professional Development: A Qualitative Inquiry". International Journal of Educational Researchers 16 (4):72-85.
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