Users’ experiences with clinical video conferencing at a resource centre for rare disorders

Abstract

The ambulatory consulting service is a corner stone in the services of a resource centre for rare disorders. Videoconferencing is considered an alternative way of meeting, to decrease costs and time spent on travelling and to increase the number of professionals from Frambu participating at the conference. Additionally, it can lead to a broader multidisciplinary scope.

The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is used as theoretical framework. TAM is a theory useful to predict user acceptance of information technology, with its two determinants “perceived usefulness” and “perceived ease of use”. The aim of the study was to compare two modalities of conducting a clinical conference: face-to-face and videoconference. Clinical conferences from January 2008 until March 2010 were assessed, resulting in 375 informants. The participants received questionnaires to assess their satisfaction with the conference. The main result was that both clients and providers were satisfied with the service, whether it was delivered as a videoconference or as a face-to-face meeting. Clients and providers were equally satisfied. There were no significant differences in satisfaction depending on neither the age of the participants nor on former experience with videoconferencing.