Research study into the impact of telemedicine on rural GP practices

The paper aims to measure the impact and application of telemedicine on primary healthcare in a rural based practice using videoconferencing technology. It also identifies the need for and awareness of telemedicine in the UK, its current implementation (if any), the future needs for telematics in primary healthcare and it examines the different kinds of barriers to progress in this field. Three case studies present the constraints of applying telemedicine in a mixture of rural practice environments. A questionnaire based survey quantifies the adoption of telemedicine/videoconferencing technologies in 47 practices in West Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. Further considerations for the adoption or nonadoption of this technology are elucidated by the survey and discussed. The conclusion shows that the adoption of such technology by rural based practices is almost nonexistent. Telemedicine can be described as the investigation, monitoring and management of patients and the education of patients and staff using systems which allows ready access to expert advice, no matter where the patient is located.