Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Quality assessment of a second opinion telemedicine service

  • Review Paper
  • Published:
Health and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The use of technology advancements and telemedicine has definitely contributed to reducing the communication gap between patients and doctors. Lately, a telemedicine program is applied in Greece aiming at the improvement of primary health services offered to Greek citizens, especially of remote and rural areas. The program is supported by the Greek National Health Service, while it is fully funded and run by Vodafone Greece. Vodafone offers doctors of 100 remote areas of continental Greece and Greek islands, portable medical equipment, supplies, electronic equipment and internet access to enable them to monitor their patients. It also offers them potential advisory support from doctors of the Athens Medical Center. The differentiation of this program from the vast majority of others lies in the fact that the end-user of the program is not the patients themselves. In accordance with the will of Vodafone to evaluate and improve, if necessary, the telemedicine services provided, we carried out a field research, the results of which are presented in what follows. Our objective was not only to find out the overall degree of satisfaction of both the participating doctors and patients, but also to compare their views. Overall, participants admitted that Vodafone Telemedicine Program results in more efficient primary healthcare services and improves the patients’ quality of life. The degree of satisfaction of both the involved doctors and patients is very high and everyone wishes the continuation or, even better, the extension of the program through the inclusion of additional tests-examinations and its application to more remote areas of Greece.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20
Fig. 21
Fig. 22

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. http://www.vodafone.gr/portal/client/cms/viewCmsPage.action?pageId=11280&request_locale=en

  2. VTP supports home and community center visits too.

  3. http://vidavo.eu/index.php/en/component/k2/item/27-vida24

  4. http://www.telemedicine-momentum.eu/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/MOMENTUM-WP3-Questionnaire-2_v2-Summary.pdf

  5. http://www.mast-model.info/Downloads/MethoTelemed_final_report_v2_11.pdf

  6. The questionnaire aimed at participating doctor can be found in http://iseb.gr/blog/evaluation-vodafone-telemedicine-program-questionnaire-aimed-participating-doctors while the one aimed at patients in http://iseb.gr/blog/evaluation-vodafone-telemedicine-program-questionnaire-aimed-patients.

  7. Internal Medicine (practiced by GPs) is a clinical specialty of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of diseases in adult patients, with particular emphasis in the internal organs of the human body. Internal Medicine is practiced both in hospital settings (e.g. clinics, emergency departments etc.) and at primary healthcare infirmaries (e.g. health centers, private infirmaries). In Greece, given the relatively recent recognition of General Medicine as an autonomous medical specialty, GPs have been called upon for decades to support primary healthcare structures, taking on much of the role of “family doctor”, still continuing to this day.

  8. which are actually NHS doctors who cooperate with Vodafone at VTP

References

  1. Strehle EM, Shabde N. One Hundred Years of Telemedicine: does this New Technology have a Place in Paediatrics? Arch Dis Child. 2006;91(12):956–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Sood S, Mbarika V, Jugoo S, et al. What Is Telemedicine? A Collection of 104 Peer-Reviewed Perspectives and Theoretical Underpinnings. Telemedicine and e-Health. 2007;13(5):573–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Becker C, Frishman WH, Scurlock C. Telemedicine and tele-ICU – The Evolution and Differentiation of a New Medical Field. Am J Med. 2016;129(12):e333–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Tsirintani M. Strategic Procedures and Revisions for Implementing Telemedicine and Telecare in Greece. Applied Clinical Informatics. 2012;3:14–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Nolte E, Knai C and Saltman RB. Assessing Chronic Disease Management in European Health Systems, Concepts and Approaches. Technical Report. World Health Organization, DK, 2014.

  6. Steinhubl SR, Muse ED, Topol EJ. Can Mobile Health Technologies Transform Health Care? JAMA. 2013;310(22):2395–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Hamine S, Gerth-Guyette E, Faulx D, et al. Impact of mHealth Chronic Disease Management on Treatment Adherence and Patient Outcomes: A Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res. 2015;17(2).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Norris AC. Essentials of Telemedicine and Telecare: John Wiley and Sons; 2002. p. 170.

  9. Heinzelmann PJ, Lugn NE, Kvedar JC. Telemedicine in the future. J Telemed Telecare. 2005;11(8):384–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Klaassen B, Van Beijnum BJF, Hermens HJ. Usability in Telemedicine Systems-A Literature Survey. Int J Med Inform. 2016;93:57–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Wang X, Zhang Z, Zhao J, Shi Y. Impact of Telemedicine on Healthcare Service System Considering Patients’ Choice. Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, vol. 2019, Article ID 7642176, 16 pages.

  12. Benschoter RA, Eaton MT, Smith P. Use of Videotape to Provide Individual Instruction in Techniques of Psychotherapy. Acad Med. 1965;40(12):1159–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Dwyer TF. Telepsychiatry: Psychiatric Consultation by Interactive Television. Am J Psychiatr. 1973;130:865–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. World Health Organization. Telemedicine: Opportunities and Developments in Member States: Report on the Second Global Survey on eHealth, Report, CH, 2010.

  15. Shi VY, Komiak S, Komiak P. Strategies to Reduce Uncertainty on the Diagnosis Quality in the Context of Virtual Consultation: Reviews of Virtual Consultation Systems. In: Duffy V, editor. Digital Human Modeling. Applications in Health, Safety, Ergonomics, and Risk Management. DHM 2018. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Cham: Springer; 2018. p. 10917.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Schettini P, Shah KP, O’Leary CP, et al. Keeping care connected: e-Consultation program improves access to nephrology care. J Telemed Telecare. 2019;25(3):142–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Bashshur R, Shannon G, Sapci H. Telemedicine Evaluation. Telemedicine and e-Health. 2005;11(3):296–316.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Goodman CSHTA. 101: Introduction to Health Technology Assessment. Bethesda: MD National Library of Medicine; 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  19. AlDossary S, Martin-Khan MG, Bradford NK, Smith AC. A systematic review of the methodologies used to evaluate telemedicine service initiatives in hospital facilities. Int J Med Inform. 2017;97:171–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Scott Kruse C, Karem P, Shifflett K, Vegi L, Ravi K, Brooks M. Evaluating barriers to adopting telemedicine worldwide: A systematic review. J Telemed Telecare. 2018;24(1):4–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Holmes-Rovner M, Kroll J, Schmitt N, et al. Patient Satisfaction with Health Care Decisions: The Satisfaction with Decision Scale. Med Decis Mak. 1996;16(1):58–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Fan VS, Burman M, McDonell MB, et al. Continuity of Care and other Determinants of Patient Satisfaction with Primary Care. J Gen Intern Med. 2005;20(3):226–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Kalman TP. An Overview of Patient Satisfaction with Psychiatric Treatment. Hosp Community Psychiatry. 1983;34(1):48–54.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Gilmour E, Campbell SM, Loane MA, et al. Comparison of Teleconsultations and Face-to-face Consultations: Preliminary Results of a United Kingdom Multicentre Teledermatology Study. Br J Dermatol. 1998;139(1):81–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Branger PJ, Van Der Wouden JC, Schudel BR, et al. Electronic Communication between Providers of Primary and Secondary Care. Br Med J. 1992;305(6861):1068–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Suresh S, Kodikal R, Kar S. Measuring Job Satisfaction and Impact of Demographic Characteristics among Doctors of Teaching Hospitals. International Multispecialty Journal of Health. 2015;1(9):29–38.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Rashid A, Forman W, Jagger C, et al. Consultations in General Practice: A Comparison of Patients' and Doctors' Satisfaction. Br Med J. 1989;299(6706):1015–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Nasser HA. Assessment of telemedicine by physicians at Prince Sultan Military Medical City. Journal of Nutrition and Human Health. 2017;1:1: 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Vedsted P, Mainz J, Lauritzen T, et al. Patient and GP Agreement on Aspects of General Practice Care. Fam Pract. 2002;19(4):339–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Jung HP, Wensing M, Olesen F, et al. Comparison of Patients' and General Practitioners' Evaluations of General Practice Care. Quality and Safety in Health Care. 2002;11(4):315–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Zandbelt LC, Smets EMA, Oort FJ, et al. Satisfaction with the Outpatient Encounter: A Comparison of Patients' and Physicians' Views. J Gen Intern Med. 2004;19(11):1088–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Roberge D, Tremblay D, Turgeon M-È, et al. Patients' and Professionals' Evaluations of Quality of Care in Oncology Outpatient Clinics. Support Care Cancer. 2013;21(11):2983–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Poost-Foroosh L, Jennings MB, Cheesman MF. Comparisons of Client and Clinician Views of the Importance of Factors in Client-clinician Interaction in Hearing Aid Purchase Decisions. J Am Acad Audiol. 2015;26(3):247–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Kidholm K, Ekeland AG, Jensen LK, et al. A model for assessment of telemedicine applications: MAST. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2012;28(1):44–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

Vodafone Group Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Informatics – ISEB Laboratory, University of Macedonia, Egnatia 156, 54636, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Yiannis Nikolaidis & George Efthymiadis

  2. Department of Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Karamanli & Ligeris str, 50100, Kozani, Greece

    Pantelis Angelidis

Authors
  1. Yiannis Nikolaidis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. George Efthymiadis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pantelis Angelidis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yiannis Nikolaidis.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nikolaidis, Y., Efthymiadis, G. & Angelidis, P. Quality assessment of a second opinion telemedicine service. Health Technol. 9, 659–678 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12553-019-00343-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12553-019-00343-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation