RESUMEN
Background: Patient and/or provider satisfaction and experience are among the most important indicators for quality assurance of health care services, including telehealth. Validated surveys should be used for this purpose to provide reliable information for a program evaluation. Objective: To validate the newly developed satisfaction surveys, report patient, and provider satisfaction with Antenatal and Neonatal Guidelines, Education and Learning Systems (ANGELS) telehealth services. Methods: Two self-administered paper surveys were developed by a multidisciplinary team. The surveys were validated among obstetric patients who received telehealth services in 2016 and providers in Arkansas from July to August 2017. Psychometric testing was performed to establish reliability and validity of both the surveys. Descriptive statistics was performed to describe patient and provider satisfaction. Results: A total of 89 patient- and 66 provider surveys were analyzed. Construct validity and internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α >0.7) were confirmed on both the surveys. The majority of patients were highly satisfied with telehealth services and reported positive perceptions toward future use of services. In the past 12 months, telehealth (78.6%) was the most used ANGELS service by providers. Finally, >90% of the providers reported high satisfaction and rated telehealth services as "excellent." Conclusions: The newly developed patient and provider telehealth surveys were reliable and valid. The surveys also demonstrated that the telehealth services were well-accepted and highly valued in a sample of obstetric patients and providers. As both surveys are short, they can be used in routine evaluation of patient and provider satisfaction with similar telehealth programs in the country.
Asunto(s)
Satisfacción Personal , Telemedicina , Arkansas , Femenino , Humanos , Recién Nacido , Satisfacción del Paciente , Embarazo , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
Arkansas's telemedicine system has evolved since 2003 from a support mechanism for high-risk pregnancy consultations to an initiative that spans medical specialties, including asthma care, pediatric cardiology, gynecology, and mental health. The system has also expanded care to diverse populations, including incarcerated women and people with HIV/AIDS. This article describes the system's evolution, organization, and diverse activities. It also shows how telemedicine can have a positive impact on a rural state and how such a state can become an engine for change regionally. The Arkansas telemedicine system faced classic challenges to uptake and function, in building and sustaining funding, in obtaining insurance reimbursement for services, and in educating patients and providers. The system's impacts on health outcomes and medical practice culture have also reached beyond patient care and provider support. The existing yet continually evolving telemedicine infrastructure and partnerships in Arkansas will respond to the state's inevitable health care reform adaptations from the Affordable Care Act and could provide direction for other states seeking to adopt or expand their telemedicine efforts.