Evolving Pediatrician Perceptions of a Telemedicine Program

This study addresses pediatrician perceptions of a telemedicine program as it developed from 1998 to 2000. The researchers completed structured interviews with ten pediatricians who provided telemedicine services between a university medical center and an urban school district. The results describe how pediatricians understood the telemedicine program, including technology, consult process, and relationships. This understanding of how pediatricians “make sense” of telemedicine allows optimal planning for the program's future and may inform other telemedicine initiatives about challenges in the pediatric setting.