Effectiveness of telemedicine in the outpatient pulmonary clinic

Background: Over the past several years, there has been a resurgence of int erest in telemedicine. Despite this renewed interest, some health care prov iders remain skeptical regarding the effectiveness of telemedicine for the delivery of health care. Objective: The objective of this prospective, crossover study was to determ ine if there was any difference between care delivered using video conferen cing-based telemedicine technology and that given by a traditional face-to- face encounter in a pulmonary medicine clinic. Methods: Two pulmonologists sequentially examined 40 individuals via video conferencing-based telemedicine technology and by the traditional face-to-f ace method. Two additional pulmonologists, in a blinded fashion, compared t he results for consistency in the history, examination with focus on auscul tation of the lungs, diagnostic impression, and evaluation and treatment pl ans. Results: Evaluation of patients by telemedicine was as effective as the tra ditional mode. The telemedicine physician and the physician examining the p atient in the traditional manner were able to elicit the same key complaint s and hear the same adventitious sounds on auscultation of the lungs. Conclusion: Telemedicine can enable the provision of high-quality care in a pulmonary clinic setting.