A QUALITATIVE APPROACH TO COMMUNITY AND PROVIDER NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN A TELEHEALTH PROJECT

Objective: Needs assessment is a critical part of the design and imple mentation of telehealth projects. This study assessed the need for a t elehealth link between a local community and a tertiary-care medical c enter. Methods: The assessment was conducted using multiple focus grou ps in a remote community and at a tertiary-care pediatric and women's medical center. Participants were physicians and allied health profess ionals at both sites and the parents of pediatric patients. Data were analyzed for comment categories and thematic items. Results: The focus groups revealed a number of important positive and negative attitudes regarding telehealth and priorities for implementation. Uncertainty a nd trust were two themes that emerged from all groups. The resulting d esign of the telehealth program incorporated these responses. Conclusi on: Qualitative methods, including focus groups, can yield useful data on complex behavior and explore attitudes toward new and unfamiliar t echnology.