Perspectives on the patient-provider relationship in primary-care telemedicine

This discussion outlines the rationale for considering the importance of the patient-provider relationship in primary care telemedicine. Although connectivity issues and cost effectiveness will continue to be necessary areas of discussion in the delivery of telemedicine, the patient- provider relationship, "filtered" by distance and technology, is equally important. Enhancing patient-provider communication in a telemedicine encounter should be at the center of the next set of research questions, and the focus of this discussion.