Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
10-16-2014
Journal
Online Journal of Public Health Informatics
Volume
Volume 6, Issue 2
Inclusive Pages
Article number e185
Abstract
The objective of this study was to assess the use of telemedicine services at community health centers. A national survey was distributed to all federally qualified health centers to gather data on their use of health information technology, including telemedicine services. Over a third of responding health centers (37%) provided some type of telemedicine service while 63% provided no telemedicine services. A further analysis that employed ANOVA and chi-square tests to assess differences by the provision of telemedicine services (provided no telemedicine services, provided one telemedicine service, and provided two or more telemedicine services) found that the groups differed by Meaningful Use compliance, location, percentage of elderly patients, mid-level provider, medical, and mental health staffing ratios, the percentage of patients with diabetes with good control, and state and local funds per patient and per uninsured patient. This article presents the first national estimate of the use of telemedicine services at community health centers. Further study is needed to determine how to address factors, such as reimbursement and provider shortages, that may serve as obstacles to further expansion of telemedicine services use by community health centers.
APA Citation
Shin, P., Sharac, J., Jacobs, F. (2014). Provision of telemedicine services by community health centers: An analysis of the readiness for HIT survey results. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics, 6(2): e185.
Peer Reviewed
1
Open Access
1
Comments
This is an Open Access article. Authors own copyright of their articles appearing in the Online Journal of Public Health Informatics. Readers may copy articles without permission of the copyright owner(s), as long as the author and OJPHI are acknowledged in the copy and the copy is used for educational, not-for-profit purposes.
Reproduced with permission of the Online Journal of Public Health Informatics.