Teaching Family Medicine Residents to Appraise Digital Behavioral Health Tools: An Early-Phase Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Longitudinal Curriculum

Abstract Digital behavioral health tools are increasingly encountered in primary care, yet residency training often emphasizes telehealth delivery rather than critical evaluation, ethical considerations, and clinical fit. Preparing residents to appraise digital tools is an important early step before expecting routine clinical integration. To examine feasibility and early development of resident readiness and appraisal skills following a longitudinal digital behavioral health curriculum in family medicine residency training. This early-phase mixed-methods evaluation was conducted within an integrated family medicine residency program. The curriculum combined a one-hour didactic session, a two-week personal app-use experience during PGY-1 training, and structured reflective reinforcement during PGY-2 training. Data sources included curriculum completion metrics, written reflections, and surveys based on Technology Acceptance Model domains to provide contextual indicators of perceived usefulness, ease of use, and intention. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively. Qualitative reflections were coded iteratively and prioritized to examine how residents reasoned about clinical fit, limitations, and ethical considerations of digital behavioral health tools. Curriculum implementation was feasible within existing educational time. Qualitative analysis yielded themes describing increased confidence following hands-on app use, clearer identification of appropriate clinical targets such as sleep and stress, recognition of privacy, cost, and access as key constraints, awareness of usability and motivation challenges, and framing of digital tools as adjuncts rather than replacements for clinical care. Survey patterns showed small directional changes in perceived usefulness and intention, while other domains remained stable, consistent with early readiness development rather than behavior change. A longitudinal digital behavioral health curriculum supported development of resident appraisal and readiness skills without promoting indiscriminate adoption. Experiential learning and structured reflection appeared to foster more nuanced, ethical, and patient-centered evaluation of digital tools. This approach offers a scalable model for integrating digital behavioral health education into residency training while aligning expectations with early-stage implementation outcomes.