A Pilot Study of the Physician Acceptance of Tele-Oncology

Abstract

During the winter of 1993, medical oncologists from an urban, university-based hospital provided oncology care to rural patients using interactive video clinics (tele-oncology). In order to assess physician satisfaction with this form of outreach, surveys were performed after the video encounters, as well as after a limited number of subsequent clinical encounters on site. Various aspects of satisfaction were evaluated. Although the sample was small (a total of 41 clinical encounters and 3 oncologists), the results suggested that there was a reasonable level of physician satisfaction with, and confidence in, the use of video to replace some on-site oncology consultations. A definitive study of tele-oncology for providing care to rural cancer patients therefore appears to be warranted.

Teledermatology and In-Person Examinations

“…[1][2][3][4] The lack of influence of bandwidth on patient satisfaction suggests that the quality of transmission provided at 1 ⁄4 T1 bandwidth was sufficient for good physician and patient rapport. Age proved to be an independent predictor of patient acceptance; older patients were less inclined to embrace the new technology.…”

“…Seven patients refused to participate. The reasons given included a dislike of machines (4), lack of time (2), and frustration with the skin problem (1). No obvious common characteristic explained their lack of participation.…”

Examining a Model of Information Technology Acceptance by Individual Professionals: An Exploratory Study

“…Several programs were initiated and ultimately established by proactive physicians who were in part motivated by factors interestingly different from those common to most rural-based telemedicine programs in the United States [32]. Driven mostly by urgent patient care demands and the needs for improved utilization efficiency (particularly in highly specialized facilities of limited service capacity), existing telemedicine programs in Hong Kong are largely urban-based and have a prominent tertiary care focus.In their fairly comprehensive review of previous telemedicine research, Perednia and Allen [39] commented that, because of a predominant focus on technological developments and clinical applications, most prior research has offered limited discussion on important issues pertaining to organizational and managerial consideration (for example [3]). As the authors concluded, the ultimate success of telemedicine as a viable service collaboration and delivery alternative or as a routine means for physicians to manage patient care requires health-care organizations to address both technological and managerial challenges.…”

“…In their fairly comprehensive review of previous telemedicine research, Perednia and Allen [39] commented that, because of a predominant focus on technological developments and clinical applications, most prior research has offered limited discussion on important issues pertaining to organizational and managerial consideration (for example [3]). As the authors concluded, the ultimate success of telemedicine as a viable service collaboration and delivery alternative or as a routine means for physicians to manage patient care requires health-care organizations to address both technological and managerial challenges.…”

Investigating physician acceptance of telemedicine technology: a survey study in Hong Kong

“…A handful of studies have investigated physician (user) technology acceptance issue, but most of them were limited in terms of medical specialty or sample size and were conducted in an ad hoc manner [16][17][18][19][20]. As summarized by Mitchell et al [17], these investigations typically had a small and restrictive sample size and tested hypotheses that were idiosyncratically formulated without theoretical foundation.…”