Difficulties in Accepting Telemedicine

Abstract

Telemedicine requires a new type of worker: the health care teleworker. Nevertheless, physicians remain wary of adopting telemedicine. This work examines the sources of the resistance to incorporating telemedicine. We adopt a focus centering on the difficulties that human factors have in accepting the practice of telemedicine. Employees’ resistance to change comes mainly from the inertia that perpetuates traditional routines and methods of working. The success of telemedicine projects will be determined by these human factors as well as by an adequate use of information technology and an appropriate organizational management. This work also offers some practical implications in human resource management for managers of telemedicine projects to consider.