The research design divides the HHAs by history of telehealth use: early adopters (prior to July 2002) and new users (after October 2002). Information for this component of the study was collected from the 19 HHAs that were using telehealth for patient services as of April 2003.
The principal investigator of the research team interviewed the person in each HHA who was responsible for implementing the telehealth program. Questions were submitted to the key informants in advance of the interview. Respondents reviewed transcripts of the interview to ensure accuracy and validity. The interview questions were semistructured-that is, they asked for specific information but left room for discussion. The questions focused on strategic objectives for telehealth and marketing practices that promote the use of telehealth. Additionally, the HHAs were asked to submit organizational documents (brochures, articles, and other marketing materials) to determine if and how they had incorporated telehealth into their marketing materials.