The benefits of a qualitative approach to telemedicine research

We used qualitative research to evaluate the experience of the participants in teleconsultations between primary and secondary care. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 hospital specialists, 24 general practitioners and 30 patients. Focus groups were also held with hospital specialists (two groups), general practitioners (six groups) and administrative staff (five groups). Sixty teleconsultations in six different specialties were video-recorded. Early findings show that the participants (hospital specialists, general practitioners and patients) had different perceptions of the same teleconsultations. Furthermore, the participants perceptions of consultations differed from those of the researchers.