Sargeant Joan, Allen Michael, Langille Donald
Continuing Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
J Telemed Telecare. 2004;10(2):89-93. doi: 10.1258/135763304773391521.
We conducted a postal survey of 140 family and community specialist physicians in a predominantly rural area which had received clinical telemedicine services and videoconferenced continuing medical education (CME) for two years. The questionnaire contained 46 items. The response rate was 47%. Most respondents (83%) reported having attended videoconferenced CME sessions and 45% reported having referred patients for teleconsultation. Physicians in more rural areas used these services more frequently. Ratings of two statements assessing the value of telemedicine in community support were significantly and positively correlated with the number of videoconferenced CME sessions attended and the number of telemedicine services used. In relation to their decision to stay in their community for at least one year, respondents rated telemedicine lower in importance than all but one of 17 other factors expected to influence physician recruitment and retention in rural communities. The influences on physician rural recruitment and retention are complex. However, telemedicine was used more frequently by the more rural physicians, and there was a relationship between higher usage and higher ratings of its value as a community support.
我们对一个主要为农村地区的140名家庭和社区专科医生进行了邮寄问卷调查，该地区已接受临床远程医疗服务和视频会议形式的继续医学教育（CME）达两年之久。问卷包含46个项目。回复率为47%。大多数受访者（83%）报告参加过视频会议形式的CME课程，45%报告曾为患者安排远程会诊。农村地区更多的医生更频繁地使用这些服务。评估远程医疗在社区支持方面价值的两项陈述的评分，与参加视频会议形式的CME课程的次数以及使用远程医疗服务的次数显著正相关。关于他们决定在所在社区至少停留一年的决定，受访者认为远程医疗的重要性低于预期会影响农村社区医生招聘和留用的其他17个因素中的16个。对医生在农村地区的招聘和留用的影响是复杂的。然而，农村地区更多的医生更频繁地使用远程医疗，并且使用频率越高，对其作为社区支持的价值评价越高。
