Journal of telemedicine and telecare
-
We assessed patient satisfaction with the use of telemedicine in rural California, in comparison with usual face-to-face care. A standardized patient satisfaction questionnaire was developed using a five-point scale to measure dimensions of care in a telemedicine environment. Twenty-four primary care sites in 18 Californian counties submitted satisfaction data. ⋯ There was an average decrease in travel distance of 170 km and time savings of 130 min using telemedicine. The average cost of travel to a specialty appointment was $83 (n = 310). The present study suggests that telemedicine is acceptable to patients as a method of improving access to specialty expertise, and compares favourably with face-to-face care.