Telemedicine in interdisciplinary work practices: On an IT system that met the criteria for success set out by its sponsors, yet failed to become part of every-day clinical routines
2008

Telemedicine in Interdisciplinary Work Practices

Sample size: 1729 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Antoinette de Bont, Roland Bal

Primary Institution: Erasmus University Medical Center

Hypothesis

How can a technology meet success criteria yet fail to integrate into everyday clinical routines?

Conclusion

Telemedicine can reshape social relations between professional groups, but its success depends on more than just technology.

Supporting Evidence

  • The quality of images was satisfactory in 90% of cases.
  • The project aimed to reduce the workload of ophthalmologists.
  • Optometrists expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of images and workload.

Takeaway

This study shows that even if a telemedicine system works well on paper, it might not be used in real life because of communication issues and dissatisfaction among professionals.

Methodology

The study involved interviews and analysis of image quality data over three years.

Potential Biases

Potential bias in the interpretation of image quality by different professionals.

Limitations

The project remained a small demonstration and did not become part of routine health care delivery.

Participant Demographics

Participants included 1 ophthalmologist, 2 technicians, and 10 optometrists.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1472-6947-8-47

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