Impact of the Ontario Telemedicine Network on Medical Services Utilization
J.C. Hogenbirk, E.F. Wenghofer, L. Carter, and L. Smith

Work by other researchers has demonstrated that, relative to all Ontarians, there is reduced access to primary care for people in small, geographically isolated communities, in communities with low average family incomes and particularly in Aboriginal communities. Telemedicine should be able to improve access to medical care services in these underserviced communities. By improving access to medical services, telemedicine also has the potential to influence use in the rest of the medical care system. For instance, telemedicine may release latent demand and thereby increase overall medical care utilization, particularly in the short term. Conversely, telemedicine may reduce emergency medical service use or hospital admissions through early detection, real-time monitoring and timely treatment. However, overall and in the details, the impact of telemedicine on medical service use is unclear.

Phase I of the research programme will seek to adapt the approach used by other researchers to the telemedicine context and develop the methodology for this type of evaluation. Phase II will use the proposed methodology to assess the impact of telemedicine on use of selected medical services. Findings have the potential to inform policy on improving access to quality health care for all Ontarians.