Patient and provider perspectives on using telemedicine for chronic disease management among Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native people

• Published in: International Journal of Circumpolar Health
• Main Authors: Vanessa Hiratsuka, Rebecca Delafield, Helene Starks, Adrian Jacques Ambrose, Marjorie Mala Mau
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2013
• Subjects: Alaska; Indians; North America; focus groups; technology use; chronic disease treatment; patient perspective; provider perspective; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic; Circumpolar Health; International Journal of Circumpolar Health
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21401; https://doaj.org/article/efd5db97bb37469f9beb1d28d5ec1ab1

Background . Among indigenous populations in remote locations who are at increased risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, telemedicine has the potential to improve access to health care services and thus may reduce adverse health outcomes. Yet few studies are available on how best to use telemedicine technology in reducing ethnic and racial health care disparities. Objective . We examined perspectives of patients and providers in 2 indigenous populations in Alaska and Hawai'i about the use of telemedicine in primary care chronic disease management. Design . Six focus groups with patients and providers at 2 sites (3 in Alaska and 3 in Hawai'i). Results . Three broad themes were common to both sites: (a) benefits and barriers of using telemedicine; (b) building patient–provider relationships; and (c) elements of an acceptable telemedicine primary care encounter. Two key elements were endorsed by both patients and providers as important for an effective telemedicine encounter: (a) the initial patient–provider interaction should be face-to-face; and (b) patients must see the same provider on follow-up visits. Conclusion . The use of telemedicine in chronic disease management has potential to improve patient care in remote indigenous populations and may supplement patient–provider relationships.