| Author(s) | Karp WB, Grigsby RK, McSwiggan-Hardin M, Pursley-Crotteau S, Adams LN, Bell W, Stachura ME, Kanto WP |
| Abstract | OBJECTIVE: In 1995, the Children's Medical Services (CMS) of the State of Georgia
contracted with the Department of Pediatrics of the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) and
the MCG Telemedicine Center to develop telemedicine programs to provide subspecialty
care for children with special health care needs. This article presents project statistics and
results of client evaluation of services, as well as physician faculty attitudes toward
telemedicine. DESIGN: A demonstration project using telemedicine between a tertiary
center and a rural clinic serving children with special health care needs was established.
Data were collected and analyzed for December 12, 1995 to May 31, 1997, during which
333 CMS telemedicine consultations were performed. RESULTS: Most CMS telemedicine
consultations (35%) involved pediatric allergy/immunology. Other subspecialties included
pulmonology (29%), neurology (19%), and genetics (16%). Overall, patients were satisfied
with the services received. Initially, physician faculty members were generally positive but
conservative in their attitudes toward using telemedicine for delivering clinical consultation.
After a year's exposure and/or experience with telemedicine, 28% were more positive, 66%
were the same, and only 4% were more negative about telemedicine. The more physicians
used telemedicine, the more positive they were about it (r =.30). CONCLUSIONS: In terms
of family attitudes and individual care, telemedicine is an acceptable means of delivering
specific pediatric subspecialty consultation services to children with special health care
needs, living in rural areas distant to tertiary centers. Telemedicine is more likely to be
successful as part of an integrated health services delivery than when it is the sole mode
used for delivery of care. |