Responses to the question, "Why did you begin using this technology?" were reviewed and coded by three independent readers to determine the primary strategic objective for adopting telehealth. The labels "clinical excellence," "technological preeminence," and "cost containment" were applied to responses that described strategic objectives. When the stated purpose was not clear, the label "unclear" was used.
To evaluate marketing practices used to promote telehealth, the organizational documents were reviewed to identify any references (words, pictures, images, etc.) to telehealth (or telehomecare or telemedicine). The following coding scheme was used to score the content of the documents: