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Telemedicine precepting in a family practice center
O F Mills1, M Tatarko, J F Bates
1Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, Conemaugh Memorial Hospital, Johnstown, PA, USA. omills@conemaugh.org
Background And Objectives:
This study assessed the feasibility, reliability, and acceptability of video teleconference precepting of residents practicing in rural sites.
Methods:
Precepting encounters were conducted between faculty at our home-base family practice center and third-year residents at a rural site. Full audio and video teleconferencing equipment was used; data was transmitted by fractional T1 lines. Residents and faculty recorded patient demographics, rated the technical quality of the encounter, and noted equipment problems during encounters.
Results:
Video teleconferencing was used for 137 patient encounters, which was 10% of all encounters. The self-reported technical quality of the encounter was acceptable (all 4 dimensions of quality rated a median score of 4 out of 5). Minor transmission or equipment problems were noted 20% of the time by residents. Use of teleconferencing diminished considerably over the 6-month period of the study. Most cases precepted by teleconferencing involved uncomplicated acute illnesses.
Conclusions:
Telemedicine precepting was technically feasible, generally reliable, and initially acceptable to the third-year residents. However, the cases precepted were mostly acute illnesses, and use of telemedicine for precepting diminished over time.