La sostenibilità della collaborazione a distanza nelle reti di telemedicina: Il caso dell’Arizona Telemedicine Program

This study presents the results from a case study on a major U.S telemedicine network in Arizona. Our findings provided us with a grounded theory on the successful use of telemedicine activities at remote organizations. The analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data suggests that integration with the regular workflow, stable availability of professionals at remote locations, and the emergence of spontaneous knowledge diffusion are associated with the success of telemedicine practices over time. Moreover, it shows that the limited awareness of the Arizona Telemedicine Program staff about the activities performed remotely reduces the use of telemedicine. However, this effect is moderated by the activation of telemedicine collaborations with other organizations, which belong to the same sub-networks. Based on the findings, we derive theoretical and practical implications for telemedicine and work at distance.