A patient-centered approach to telemedicine

Over the last several years, there has been a rapid proliferation in telemedicine. Academic medical centers and physician organizations have begun to adopt “video visits” as an extension of their practice. However, most organizations use a top-down approach when implementing telemedicine services. The Department of Urology at the University of Michigan has taken a different approach. Central to the design of Connect-M was the patient’s perspective. In this oral presentation, the Director of Connect-M will discuss the results of the survey and the dozens of semi-structured interviews that were conducted to understand the patient’s perspective on telemedicine. He will also discuss how this feedback was used to build and modify the successful telemedicine program at the University of Michigan. The findings are surprising, humbling, and should be considered by all stakeholders that are interested in implementing a telemedicine program at their organization.