Perceived Usefulness of Telehealth Among Rural Medical Providers: Barriers to Use and Associations with Provider Confidence

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dc.contributor.authorTerry, D. L., & Buntoro, S. P.
dc.date.accessioned2022-02-23T20:17:50Z
dc.date.available2022-02-23T20:17:50Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractObjective Telehealth has been identified as an efficient and safe way of increasing access to healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding providers’ perceptions of telehealth usage in rural communities may help other communities understand barriers and concerns related to implementation, during and post-pandemic. This study aimed to (a) examine rates of telemedicine use among rural providers, (b) determine whether changes in telehealth use in this group were associated with provider confidence and perceived usefulness of technology, (c) compare these providers’ perceptions of the “usefulness” of technology prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (d) examine barriers to implementation and use of telehealth within a rural sample. Method Six-hundred eighty-six medical providers working at a rural Pennsylvania teaching hospital and associated satellite clinics were surveyed anonymously. Surveys included the Perceived Usefulness of Technology Scale and questions to identify barriers that prohibited the use of telehealth. Findings/Results Of 136 respondents, 86% reported no prior experience using virtual technology for patient encounters. Use of telehealth care increased by 34% following the pandemic. Provider confidence in his/her/their abilities was positively associated with increased use of telehealth and perceived usefulness of technology. Provider-identified barriers to implementation included necessity of physical exams and lack of technological literacy. Conclusions Both medical providers and patients continue to face various barriers to seamless integration of care. Devising ways to increase self-confidence and efficacy for use of telehealth among providers might be an additional way to increase telehealth use.en_US
dc.identifier.citationTerry, D. L., & Buntoro, S. P. (2021). Perceived usefulness of telehealth among rural medical providers: Barriers to use and associations with provider confidence. Journal of technology in behavioral science, 6(4), 567-571.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41347-021-00215-5
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11212/5344
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherJournal of technology in behavioral scienceen_US
dc.subjectresearchen_US
dc.subjecttelehealthen_US
dc.subjectCOVID-19en_US
dc.subjectrural providersen_US
dc.titlePerceived Usefulness of Telehealth Among Rural Medical Providers: Barriers to Use and Associations with Provider Confidenceen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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