Predictors of continued use of telemedicine by primary care professionals, medical specialists and patients

Interpersonal Traits, Complementarity, and Trust in Virtual Collaboration

“…Furthermore, when caregivers are asked to collaborate with others in telemedicine, several vulnerabilities-points of practitioner resistance-are highlighted, including potential loss of patients to other doctors, loss of the connection to the patient afforded by immediate presence or equipment failure, and loss of control over patient care. Specialists are concerned about the consequences of the knowledge-sharing that is facilitated by teleconsultations and the potential diminishing of future referrals: as the general (or nurse-) practitioner teleconsults with the specialist, the practitioner's know-how appreciates and he or she, thus, gains confidence in his or her ability to make future diagnoses and prescribe remedies-consequently depriving the specialist of future income [56,61]. These disincentives to participation can be mitigated by trust.…”