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The Pine Ridge-Mayo National Aeronautics and Space Administration telemedicine project: program activities and
T E Kottke1, L Little Finger, M A Trapp
1Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN 55905 USA.
Objective:
To determine the response of participants to the Pine Ridge-Mayo National Aeronautics and Space Administration telemedicine project.
Design:
We describe a 3-month demonstration project of medical education and clinical consultations conducted by means of satellite transmission. Postparticipation questionnaires and a postproject survey were used to assess the success of the activity.
Material And Methods:
Patients and employees at the Pine Ridge Indian Health Service Hospital in southwestern South Dakota and employees at Mayo Clinic Rochester participated in a telemedicine project, after which they completed exit surveys and a postproject questionnaire to ascertain the acceptability of this mode of health care.
Results:
Almost all Pine Ridge and Mayo Clinic participants viewed the project as beneficial. The educational sessions received favorable evaluations, and almost two-thirds of the patients who completed evaluations thought the consultation had contributed to their medical care. More than 90% of the respondents from Pine Ridge and more than 85% of the respondents from Mayo Clinic Rochester said that they would recommend participation in this project to others. More than 90% of respondents from Pine Ridge and 80% of Mayo respondents agreed with the statement that the project should continue.
Conclusion:
These data suggest that a program of clinical consultation services, professional education, and patient education available by telemedicine might be viewed as beneficial.