Assessment of Stakeholder Perceptions and Cost of Implementing a Telemedicine Specialty Program at Correctional Facilities in North Carolina.

ABSTRACT: Background Delivering in-person health care to the more than 1.2 million incarcerated adults can be expensive, logistically challenging, fragmented, and pose security risks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implementation of a specialty care telemedicine program in statewide prisons in North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We evaluated the first 6 months of implementation of a new telemedicine program to deliver specialty care to adults incarcerated in 55 North Carolina prison facilities. We measured patient and practitioner perceptions and the impact on the cost of care. Results A total of 3232 telemedicine visits were completed across 55 prisons within the first 6 months of the program. Most patients reported that the ability to use telemedicine contributed to

SUBMITTER: Khairat S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10502381 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature