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conferenceseries
.com
Volume 8, Issue 4 (Suppl)
J Health Med Inform, an open access journal
ISSN: 2157-7420
Medical Informatics 2017
August 31- 01 September, 2017
August 31- 01 September, 2017 | Prague, Czech Republic
5
th
International Conference on
Medical Informatics & Telemedicine
J Health Med Informat 2017, 8:4 (Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2157-7420-C1-019
STUDENTS AND TELEMEDICINE: CONNECTING TECHNOLOGY TO CAMPUS
HEALTHCARE
Jodee Fitzgerald
a
a
Metropolitan State University, USA
Statement of the Problem:
Students often have limited healthcare options due to a variety of reasons including being impacted
by health disparities within an ecological perspective. When higher education universities have more than one primary
location, using technology to connect the students (patients) to healthcare is critical. With 17% of our total student population
uninsured, selecting a healthcare system that would cast a wide reach throughout the state of Minnesota (USA) was critical.
Not only did this effect the quality of lives of our students (patients), it also aimed to decrease ecological problems that existed
throughout our population.
Methodology &Theoretical Orientation:
An action research approach was taken, which sought to engage the students in the
process of selecting a campus wide healthcare system. Qualitative data collection included focus groups and interviews with
students.
Findings:
The students in this study were very eager to assist with locating a new campus wide healthcare system. Although
there were many challenges to finding the appropriate healthcare system, the students were enthusiastic to utilize technology
to meet their healthcare needs. They clearly knew what they were seeking in terms of healthcare, and their vision was then
brought to life.
Conclusion & Significance:
In the end, the university ended up selecting a telemedicine option which addressed the needs of
all of our students throughout the state of Minnesota. Without the assistance of technology and telemedicine, our university
would not have been able to identify a comprehensive healthcare system that met the needs of all of our students due to the
multiple campuses within our university. Telemedicine has been the frontrunner within our campus community and will
continue to grow with an increase in utilization and visibility.