Medical College of Georgia

HCFA Study

A HCFA funded study was aimed at evaluating the effects of telemedicine systems on the accessibility, quality and cost of health care. Coordinated and conducted by the School of Public Health of the University of Michigan and the Medical College of Georgia, the project consisted of developing and implementing a detailed methodology for evaluating telemedicine. The evaluation design included (1) a quasi-experimental study of clients and providers in selected test and control communities and (2) a study to compare the content, process and outcome of episodes of care with and without telemedicine. Results from the study should help to clarify the role of telemedicine in addressing significant problems in health care delivery, namely, the maldistribution of health resources, uneven quality of care and lack of access to care for segments of the population. Telemedicine has yet to be adequately evaluated (in terms of these issues) in a comprehensive and systematic fashion. Without such evaluation, the merit of telemedicine cannot be determined. The study addressed these central issues of concern to policy makers, practitioners and students of health care organizations. The University of Michigan researchers are in the process of completing study analyses and a final report.