title: Rural Arkansas physicians and telemedicine technology: attitudes in communities receiving equipment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess physician attitudes toward the usefulness, effectiveness, and expected use of telemedicine, as well as interest in learning about the technology.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey instrument assessing attitudes toward each of the four objective domains was mailed to 46 physicians at six hospitals affiliated with the Rural Hospital Program of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Binomial probability methods were used to analyze the responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survey achieved a response rate of 59% (27/46). Physician responders agreed that telemedicine would be useful in improving patient care quality but would not be useful in improving the financial position of the hospital or in lowering patient-borne costs. Physicians were evenly split on the effectiveness and expected utilization of telemedicine for patient consults. There was significant interest in learning more about telemedicine applications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Barriers to utilization of telemedicine by physicians may remain even under a new reimbursement system unless referring physicians are convinced of the benefits to the community as well the clinical effectiveness of the technology.
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Research and Evaluation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tilford
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Garner
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Strode
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Bynum
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001131:Arkansas; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*