User adoption issues in renal telemedicine

We carried out a longitudinal survey to evaluate the users' attitudes to the introduction of telemedicine into the dialysis units of a renal ward in South Australia. The first questionnaire was distributed to all members of staff involved with the introduction of the system. There were 44 responses (80%). Staff were fairly positive about the telemedicine system, and felt that it was easy to use and reliable. They also clearly felt that the confidentiality and privacy offered by the system in an open ward were unsatisfactory. A second questionnaire was distributed to all staff about six months later and there were 40 responses (66%). Of these, 22 could be matched with the responses from the first survey (a response rate of 50% from the first sample). There were no significant differences in the staff members' feelings between the two surveys, except in two cases: there were significant changes in staff opinion about the degree of confidentiality (P < 0.05) and privacy (P < 0.01) offered by the system, with attitudes becoming more positive in each case. The results indicate the need for dialogue with users, in order to address their concerns regarding the system and practical difficulties. This study highlights the importance of planning, effort, cooperation and an appropriate culture within a renal unit in order for telemedicine to be accepted.