Primary care provider and imaging technician satisfaction with a teledermatology project in rural veterans health administration clinics

Abstract Objective: Assessment of a multisite rural teledermatology project between 2009 and 2012 in four Pacific Northwest states that trained primary care providers and imaging technicians in state-of-the-art techniques of telemedicine. Materials and Methods: In 2012, we assessed provider and imaging technician acceptability and satisfaction with a 32-item survey instrument based on the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire developed by Ware et al. (Eval Program Plann 1983;6:247–63) and modified for telemedicine by Kraai et al. (J Card Fail 2011;17:684–690). Survey questions covered eight satisfaction domains: interpersonal manner, technical quality, accessibility, finances, efficacy, continuity, physical environment, and availability. Results: Overall, 71% of the primary care providers and 94% of the imaging technicians reported being satisfied or extremely satisfied with the teledermatology project. Most (95%) providers found the continuing education classes on dermatology diagnosis and treatment topics ...