RESULTS
Strategic Objectives for Adopting Telehealth
The content analysis of the interviews identified several strategic objectives for adopting telehealth. The emergent themes were consistent with motivations found in the literature. The most commonly cited reason for adopting telehealth was clinical excellence. Under this view, the strategic objective of telehealth is to meet clinical needs and improve the health status of patients or populations. Seven HHAs expressed this view. The second strongest sentiment for adopting telehealth was cost containment, an organizational response to reimbursement changes and perceived to be a means to reduce skilled nursing visits without compromising quality. Strategic objectives are to maximize profits and reduce costs associated with health service delivery. Six HHAs articulated cost containment as the primary objective for adopting telehealth, and several others listed it as a secondary objective. Four HHAs expressed the view that adoption of telehealth will enhance the organization's image as a technology leader and that telehealth is the future. Two HHAs had no clearly defined objectives for adopting telehealth.