Telemedicine in rural care. Part 1: Developing and evaluating a nurse-led initiative

To develop and evaluate a nurse-led telemedicine service over a six-month period, linking the senior citizens of a rural village with the town-based general practice.

Patients, doctors and nurses were asked to complete a questionnaire following video-link sessions. Interviews were also carried out at home with patients, while interviews with nurses and doctors took place in the workplace.

Of the 173 consultations with villagers aged over 65, 29 (17 per cent) were conducted by video-link. All those who used this service were sent questionnaires and 18 were returned (62 per cent). Seven of the patients who had received one video-link consultation were interviewed in their homes. All of the patients initially found the video consultation experience strange. Generally, patients found the nurses to have a pivotal role in explaining the service and interpreting their needs. All those interviewed said they would use the service again. The GPs spoke favourably of the service and said that it had saved them time. The nurses involved were positive about the service. Negative comments generally related to technology, for example picture and sound quality.

All involved in the nurse-led telemedicine service viewed it favourably and patients said that they would use it again. Part two, to be published in next week's Nursing Standard, will discuss the findings of the evaluation in relation to the wider picture of nursing involvement in teleconsultation.