The School of Medicine at University of Missouri-Columbia will implement and study rural telemedicine services in partnership with three small rural Missouri communities. Much of the local health care system in each town will be interconnected using computer networks. Existing telemedicine systems in each community, based on digital video conferencing, will be integrated into the larger network. In addition to creating links between the health professionals within each community, the project will connect rural providers in the other -participating towns, to the University's Health Sciences Center (with its four hospitals, major medical library, hundreds of specialists, and other resources), and to the National Information Infrastructure. Many of the project's telemedicine services will be delivered through the World Wide Web. Studies will involve the tracking of telemedicine utilization, assessment of rural providers' telemedicine and information needs, the impact of telemedicine on the perceptions of rural providers and patients regarding the healthcare available in their communities, the impact of telemedicine services on communications and decision making among rural providers, changes in health-care utilization patterns, and models for analysis of the costs and savings produced by telemedicine.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Library of Medicine (NLM)
Type
Research and Development Contracts (N01)
Project #
N01LM063538-007
Application #
2881068
Study Section
Project Start
1996-09-30
Project End
1999-09-29
Budget Start
1998-09-30
Budget End
1999-05-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Missouri-Columbia
Department
Biostatistics & Other Math Sci
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
112205955
City
Columbia
State
MO
Country
United States
Zip Code
65211
Hicks, Lanis L; Boles, Keith E; Hudson, Stanton et al. (2003) Patient satisfaction with teledermatology services. J Telemed Telecare 9:42-5
Armer, Jane M (2003) A case study of the use of telemedicine by advanced practice nurses in rural Missouri. J Contin Educ Nurs 34:226-33
Hicks, L L; Boles, K E; Hudson, S T et al. (2001) Using telemedicine to avoid transfer of rural emergency department patients. J Rural Health 17:220-8
Campbell, J D; Harris, K D; Hodge, R (2001) Introducing telemedicine technology to rural physicians and settings. J Fam Pract 50:419-24
Farmer, J E; Muhlenbruck, L (2001) Telehealth for children with special health care needs: promoting comprehensive systems of care. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 40:93-8
Hicks, L L; Boles, K E; Hudson, S T et al. (2000) An evaluation of satisfaction with telemedicine among health-care professionals. J Telemed Telecare 6:209-15
Hicks, L L; Koenig, S E; Boles, K E et al. (1999) A method for identifying comparison counties: application to a rural telemedicine evaluation project. J Telemed Telecare 5:182-8