Digital diffusion in the clinical trenches : findings from a Telemedicine Needs Assessment

Broadly stated, this dissertation focuses on how practitioners and provider organizations integrate the computer and web into healthcare delivery. The opportunity that afforded this research was a Telemedicine Needs Assessment commissioned by a Massachusetts-based provider organization, consisting of two hospitals and 29 community group practices (CGP). The Telemedicine Needs Assessment incorporated qualitative and quantitative research programs to include: 1. cross-sectional, institution-wide, in-depth interviews; 2. participant observation at administrative and clinical day-to-day operations, and lastly, 3. a 68 item, closed-ended survey distributed to all 586 clinical practitioners to assess the access, use, and perceived needs of current computer, web, and telemedicine technologies. Data from the survey, (72% response rate), established a computer and web enablement baseline against which the success, failure, or potential usefulness of any future medical informatics implementation would be evaluated. Findings included: 1. Computer and web enablement within the organization is not ubiquitous. Access is high, use is low; 2. Practitioner status, practice location, and gender affect enablement. Non-MDs, CGP-based practitioners, and female practitioners report lowest access and use. 3. No differences were reported specific to home access to computers and use of e-mail. 4. Hospital-based practitioners report greater access and use. CGP-based practitioners report greater perceived needs for teletechnologies.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2002

Author dc:creator

• Harrop, Verlé M. (Verlé Margaret), 1952-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• William L. Porter.

• Architecture.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/8315

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/8315