Measuring and Comparing Telemedicine Utilization Trends Among U.S. Hospitals

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Health Informatics
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Accurate measurement of telemedicine utilization is crucial for understanding its impact on healthcare delivery.
• Existing data on hospital telemedicine use may be incomplete due to reporting challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify organizational and financial factors linked to hospital reporting of telemedicine utilization.
• To explore barriers and facilitators for comprehensive telemedicine utilization data collection.

Main Methods:

• An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed.
• Quantitative analysis of Medicare Cost Reports and American Hospital Association Annual Survey data (2017-2021).
• Qualitative semistructured interviews with healthcare stakeholders to contextualize findings.

Main Results:

• Hospitals with for-profit ownership, located in southern and western regions, were more likely to report telemedicine utilization.
• Six key domains impacting reporting were identified: resource availability, organizational issues, survey design, vendor documentation, reporting requirements, and definition standardization.

Conclusions:

• Addressing identified barriers is essential for accurate telemedicine utilization measurement.
• Improved data completeness is vital for enhancing healthcare delivery through telemedicine.
• Future research should focus on robust data capture methodologies and the impact of reporting incentives.