A Pilot Study Exploring Michigan-Based Medical Providers’ Perspectives of Telemedicine

Aim: This work aims to uncover differences between users and non-users of telemedicine and provider perspectives about what types of medical visits work well in telemedicine and what procedures must take place during in-person medical visits, and potential factors that may influence the future use of telemedicine.Background: The COVID-19 pandemic triggered many changes for individuals worldwide; one example is an increased reliance on telemedicine to receive health care. Little is known about the provider perspective of telemedicine use beyond their thoughts on reimbursement, liability, technical challenges, and licensure/credentialing.Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted with 59 medical providers to determine perceptions of the best-suited services for telemedicine and the differences between users and non-users of telemedicine.Results: Results suggest that providers perceive only a few services that are best suited for telemedicine. Communication concerns were the only significant difference between users and non-users in that non-users are most concerned about their ability to communicate with their patients via telemedicine effectively. In addition, positive telemedicine experiences play a key role in the continuing use of telemedicine.Conclusion: This study contributes to our understanding of how medical providers feel about using telemedicine and its sustainability, which is crucial as we are coming out of the pandemic but still acknowledging the greater use of technologies for health care.