Telemedicine applications in primary care: a geriatric patient pilot project.
OBJECTIVE
To determine patient satisfaction with telemedicine technology.


METHODS
In this pilot study, 20 generally healthy elderly residents (mean age, 77.3 years) of a Florida retirement community consulted weekly by "Electronic House Call" with a primary care physician to record their vital signs and discuss their condition. At the end of the 8-week study period, they were asked to complete a survey indicating their satisfaction with the telemedicine experience.


RESULTS
Eighteen of the 20 participants completed the survey. Eleven respondents (61%) reported they were comfortable using the computer system without assistance. Most (13/18; 72%) believed the computer system correctly recorded vital signs. Almost all (17/18; 94%) reported the computer system did not have a negative impact on their relationship with their primary health care provider, and 11 (61%) thought that the system had a positive effect.


CONCLUSIONS
The participants in this small pilot study were pleased with the experience they had with telemedicine. Large-scale studies are needed to determine the widespread utility of telemedicine technology.
Bratton
R L
RL
Department of Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Fla. 32224, USA.
Cody
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D000368:Aged; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006792:House Calls / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States