This study will provide a profile of telemedicine service utilization by Mexican American, Navajo, and Non Hispanic white patients. This study focuses on the health needs of rural Arizona residents, including some who live near the U.S. border. These residents face geographic barriers (distance) and supply barriers (lack of specialty care) to access to care. These problems are compunded by environmental hazard along the U.S. border and the lack of economic opportunity in rural areas in Arizona. The project will: 1) provide a profile of telemedicine service utilization, and 2) deepen and broaden the understanding of the role of culture in access and utilization of telemedicine health services. This will be achieved via the development and implementation of a patient satisfaction survey, a provider survey, and a chart review.
There will be a cohort of 200 patients stratified by location. This research is tracking individuals within an existing service project. It is estimated that 50 participants will be studied at each of the four sites for a total of 200 individuals. The ethnic distributions are assumed to be as follows: the population of Springerville is 100% non Hispanic white, the population of Ganado is essentially 100% Navajo, and the populations of Douglass and Nogales are approximately 80% Mexican American and 20% non Hispanic white. These population distributions result in an expectation for enrollment of 80 Mexican-Americans, 70 non Hispanic whites, and 50 Navajo.
Learning Objectives: The learning objectives are: 1) identify if telemedicine increases or decreases the number of clinic encounters between patient and clinician at the same rate for Mexican American, Navajo, and non-Hispanic White populations, 2) examine if telemedicine alters the types or complexity of the clinical encounter at the same level for these populations, 3) assess if telemedicine affects the cost of providing clinical services for the management of chronic and/or rehabilitative conditions at the same amount for these populations, 4) examine if telemedicine affects patient compliance (e.g., taking medications as prescribed, doing exercise as instructed, etc) at the same level for these populations; access if minority patients perceive that cultural competency is an important factor in the delivery of telemedicine services such that it may impact utilization of these services; and examine how telemedicine impacts the quality of life for these populations.
Keywords: Culture, Hispanic
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.