Colombian Users’ Experiences about Telemedicine in Health Services
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37506/ijphrd.v11i3.1423Keywords:
Culture; health; health services; health systems; telemedicine; grounded theoryAbstract
Objective: To examine the perception of telemedicineas a means to provide health services from the point
of view of users of the health insurance system in the Municipality of Sonsón (Colombia).
Materials and Method: This qualitative study applied 16 interviews to key informants. The transcripts
were later coded and analyzed adopting Strauss and Corbin’s Grounded Theory, which resulted in an axial
coding process.
Results: There is general rejection of telemedicine as a way to provide services because of its impersonal
character and the limitation of the face-to-face contact with a health professional.
Conclusions: The implementation of telemedicine in the context of any health system should consider key
social and cultural structural elements to ensure its acceptance by communities.
