Patient and provider perspectives on using telemedicine for chronic disease management among Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native people.

Background: Among indigenous populations in remote locations who are at increased risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, telemedicine has the potential to improve access to health care services and thus may reduce adverse health outcomes. Yet few studies are available on how best to use telemedicine technology in reducing ethnic and racial health care disparities.

Objective: We examined perspectives of patients and providers in 2 indigenous populations in Alaska and Hawai'i about the use of telemedicine in primary care chronic disease management.