National Pediatric Telemedicine Assessment

 

Background:

Telemedicine, also referred to as telehealth, is the use of electronic communications to exchange medical information from one site to another.  The use of telemedicine in pediatrics is a new and quickly evolving field, and the sophistication of pediatric telemedicine programs likely varies greatly between institutions.  The American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement in July 2015 about the use of telemedicine in pediatrics, but no formal study has measured the current state of the telehealth landscape for pediatrics.

 

Objective:

Conduct an assessment survey about pediatric telemedicine programs at institutions throughout the United States.  This survey will assess the type and maturity of various telehealth programs offered at each institution.  From a systems perspective, the survey will assess personnel, processes, and tools dedicated to telemedicine at each institution.  We will report our results to participants as well as share them with the telehealth community at large.

 

Future Directions:

Information collected during this effort will create a national registry of pediatric telehealth programs that can be used to launch future collaborative research efforts.  Identification of programs nationally can lead to studies on implementation strategies, challenges and solutions, and performance metrics that can be valuable tools for further development of pediatric telehealth programs.