Kruse, Clemens S.Atkins, James M.Baker, Tiffany D.Gonzales, Estefania N.Paul, Jennifer L.Brooks, Matthew2019-08-272019-08-272018-08Kruse, C. S., Atkins, J. M., Baker, T. D., Gonzales, E. N., Paul, J. L., & Brooks, B. (2018). Factors influencing the adoption of telemedicine for treatment of military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 50(5), pp. 385-392.1650-1977https://hdl.handle.net/10877/8548Background: Military veterans returning from a combat zone often face mental health challenges as a result of traumatic experiences. The veteran in the United States has been underdiagnosed and underserved. Since its advancement in the 1990s, telemedicine has become a more prevalent means of delivering services for post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans in the United States, but its adoption is not ubiquitous. Objective: To clarify the association of telemedicine and the treatment of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder through identification of facilitators and barriers to the adoption of the modality. Methods: Reviewers analysed articles from CINAHL and PubMed databases, using relative key words, selecting the 28 most germane to the study objective. Results: The most common adoption facilitators were: improving access to rural populations of veterans (22%), effective treatment outcomes (16%), and decreased costs related to care (13%). The most prevalent barriers were: veterans lacking access to necessary modalities (25%), availability of physicians competent in post-traumatic stress disorder treatment (20%), and complications with technology (20%). Five themes surfaced for facilitators: accessibility, effectiveness, cost reduction, positive patient perception, and supportive community; and 5 themes for barriers: access to technology, technical complications, physician availability, negative patient perception, and uninformed patients. Conclusion: This literature review identifies cost and outcomes-effectiveness. The association of telemedicine with the treatment of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder is feasible, beneficial and effective.Text8 pages1 file (.pdf)entelemedicinepost-traumatic stress disordermilitary veteransHealth AdministrationArticle© 2018 Foundation of Rehabilitation Information.https://doi.org/10.2340/16501977-2302This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.