title: Telemedicine applications in primary care: a geriatric patient pilot project.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Fla. 32224, USA.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Bratton
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cody
mesh_terms: 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