Efficacy of tele-endoscopy in a rural capitated market

PURPOSE To attempt to quantify the potential for success of tele-endoscopy as a component of the VTMEDNET Plus telemedicine implementation, a multi-part prospective study was undertaken by faculty of the Vermont Initiative for Rural Health Informatics and Telemedicine. METHOD The study was comprised of three separate parts, evaluation of image quality, cost analysis, and identification of referring providers needs and attitudes regarding tele-endoscopy. FINDINGS The image quality was satisfactory to support remote diagnosis in most cases; there was significant cost savings in a managed care environment; referring providers were generally positive about the attributes of tele-endoscopy. CONCLUSION Tele-endoscopy is a viable and cost-effective component within a telemedicine system.