In December 2003, Eve-Lynn Nelson, PhD, Assistant Director of Research, KU Center for Telemedicine and Telehealth (KUCTT), was awarded a Robert Wood Johnson Grant as part of the eHealth Technologies Initiative. This initiative, a $10.3-million National Program Office of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, supports research evaluating the effectiveness of interactive eHealth applications used for health behavior change and chronic disease management.

The researchers are adapting the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS) for the telehealth setting and establishing the psychometric profile for the modified measure.

The RIAS is the most widely used interaction analysis system for coding patient-provider communication in the medical setting. The RIAS allows researchers to code provider and patient behaviors including instrumental behaviors, affective behaviors, and social conversation.

The first phase of the program modified the RIAS for the telehealth setting based on input from a panel of experts from across disciplines. The second phase is validating the measure across KUCTT telehealth clinics, allowing researchers to address key questions about communication within a telehealth practice.

More information about the Health e-Technology Initiative can be found at www.hetinitiative.org. For more on the Roter Interaction Analysis System, visit www.rias.org.