Long term success of a telehealth network: a case study of the upper peninsula telehealth network

摘要

Telemedicine, the provision of healthcare via telecommunication technology, is an increasingly popular option for providing healthcare services as healthcare organisations are challenged to contain costs. Telemedicine is ideally suited to meet the special demands present in rural areas, but the fact remains that many telemedicine projects fail to achieve financial viability once grant funding has been removed. This case study investigated the long-term success of the Upper Peninsula Telehealth Network (UPTN), a project that has grown from a pilot effort to a financially sustainable network operating at 42 sites. Viewed through the theoretical lens of critical mass theory, findings suggest the two primary keys to the UPTN's success were: a strategy of slow but sustainable growth;and a sponsor that helps coordinate network activities and makes it simpler for new organisations to join the network.