A feasibility study on the implementation of teleconsultation in tuberculosis patients in Zabol City of Iran

Teleconsultation can be used for tuberculosis patients, especially in deprived area. We surveyed all of 60 employees in health centers and tuberculosis center in such area in Iran about feasibility (organizational, technical, human and environmental readiness) of implementing teleconsultation and its barriers. We found that human readiness was moderate and other aspects were weak. Furthermore, the main obstacles were the shortage of computer equipment (40), technical infrastructure (35), lack of funds (33.3), lack of awareness (33.3), and employee resistance (33.3). Implementing teleconsultation for tuberculosis patients is not completely feasible in this area and requires improvement in organizational, technical and environmental factors. © 2018 European Federation for Medical Informatics (EFMI) and IOS Press