Patient satisfaction with telemedical access to specialty services in rural California.
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Date
2002-09-09
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Abstract
We assessed patient satisfaction with the use of telemedicine in rural California in comparison with usual face to face care A standardized patient satisfaction questionnaire was developed using a five point scale to measure dimensions of care in a telemedicine environment Twenty four primary care sites in 18 Californian counties submitted satisfaction data The patient response rate was 61 n 793 Consultations were provided in 27 specialties The responses to the questionnaires indicated that telemedicine made it easier for patients to receive specialty care 91 of patients satisfied mean score 4 6 There was general satisfaction with telemedicine 87 mean 4 5 a willingness to continue receiving services 90 mean 4 6 and most patients felt that they would not receive better care in person 61 mean 2 3 Patients stated that they received the necessary information from specialists 85 mean 4 5 and had their questions answered by a primary care provider or nurse 89 mean 4 7 Seven hundred and forty one patients submitted travel information There was an average decrease in travel distance of 170 km and time savings of 130 min using telemedicine The average cost of travel to a specialty appointment was 83 n 310 The present study suggests that telemedicine is acceptable to patients as a method of improving access to specialty expertise and compares favourably with face to face care