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Doctor-patient interaction in telemedicine: Logic of choice and logic of care perspectives

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Abstract

This paper focuses on telemedicine implementation, which can be used to extend modern medical knowledge to remote areas in developing countries. By examining doctor- patient interactions in the context of a telemedicine program in India, we posit how the behaviour of the actors interacting over virtual media is determined by interplay between two dominant institutional logics, namely logic of care and logic of choice. The paper draws on the tenets of institutional logics to extend the theoretical understanding about processes of engagement of actors with a new technology and explicates how the engagement evolves with the use of technology. The research emphasizes the essential role of considering the dynamics of logic of care and logic of choice in the design and implementation process.

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Notes

  1. Telemedicine, here, refers to healthcare delivery initiatives where physicians and/or other healthcare professionals can advise patients remotely using Information and Telecommunication Technologies (ICTs) (Tan et al. 2005).

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Acknowledgment

This research is based upon work supported by the Strengthening Information Society Research Capacity Alliance (SIRCA II: Grant No. 17).

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Correspondence to Rajesh Chandwani.

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Chandwani, R., De’, R. Doctor-patient interaction in telemedicine: Logic of choice and logic of care perspectives. Inf Syst Front 19, 955–968 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-016-9643-0

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