Outcomes, Satisfaction, and Costs of a Rheumatology Telemedicine Program: A Longitudinal Evaluation

Objectives Rural veterans with inflammatory arthritis (IA) lack medical access because of geographic barriers. Telemedicine (TM) holds great promise in relieving these disparities. We have prospectively measured patient-centered data surrounding a TM care program at a federal health system and compared these with usual care (UC). Methods Veterans with previously established IA were enrolled in TM follow-up. Data collected longitudinally before and after entering the program included Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID-3), out-of-pocket visit costs and distances traveled, and patient satisfaction instruments. Demographics were recorded. Similar data were collected on a convenience sample of concurrent IA patients receiving UC. Results Eighty-five patients were observed, including 25 receiving TM care and 60 receiving UC. No differences in demographics, satisfaction scores, or RAPID-3 were noted at baseline between groups. Univariate linear regression of cross-sectional baseline data suggests satisfaction instrument scores were predicted by RAPID-3 (β = −0.64/10 points, p = 0.01), as well as distance (β = −0.19/100 miles, p = 0.02) and cost (β = −0.37/$100, p = 0.05). A multivariate model indicates both distance (β = −0.17/100 miles, p = 0.02) and RAPID-3 (β = −0.47/10 points, p
Source: JCR: Journal of Clinical Rheumatology - Category: Rheumatology Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research