Kenneth Muir McConnochie, M.D., M.P.H.

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Dr. McConnochie's major research interests include:

1) Telemedicine in routine pediatric practice

2) Health Services Research

3) Clinical Epidemiology

4) Health Information Technology

5) Home nursing to improve care of acute childhood illness and avoid hospitalization

6) Development of a population health indicators based on administrative data bases

7) Clinical decision making for lower respiratory tract illness in infants

8) Disparities.

Inner city families, whose children are most burdened by morbidity and whose reliance on childcare is most important to their ability to improve economic circumstances, are those least equipped to deal with the challenge of illness in childcare. Using information technology that enables clinicians to evaluate and treat ill children at a distant childcare site, we have developed Health-e-Access a childcare telehealth access network. Health-e-Access is a novel, yet logical and efficient, approach to a serious problem of national as well as local significance. The service is currently operational in 7 linner-city childcare centers in Rochester. Evidence based on the 3 years of experience in the first 5 centers firmly supports high levels of acceptance and satisfaction with this innovation on the part of parents and childcare programs. Moreover, demonstrated reduction in child absence due to illness has been dramatic (62% reduction) and undoubtedly impacts parent work absence. We anticipate that employers, too, will recognize the value of this program.

Keys to expansion and long term sustainability of Health-e-Access are physician acceptance and insurance reimbursement. Physician acceptance can be anticipated if appropriate reimbursement is available and telehealth services can be integrated efficiently in primary care practice. Insurance reimbursement can be anticipated if telehealth services can be shown to reduce healthcare costs. We are involved in several studies of this health services model that are focused on integration in primary care practices, acceptance of telemedicine by clinicians and parents, continuity of care via telemedicine, impact on utilization patterns, applications of telemedicine and other health information technology in the ongoing management of chronic problems (e.g., asthma). Health care cost impact, and economic benefits for parent, schools, childcare programs and employers.

New funding will allow expansion of this program to include at total of 22 child sites and 10 primary care practices. Expansion will add urban and suburban elementary schools and suburban childcare to the 7 urban childcare centers already participating, and it will encompass over 8000 eligible children. Local insurance organizations have agreed to provide reimbursement for telemedicine visits in this expanded demonstration projected.

Specialty

General Pediatrics

Current Appointments

• Professor - Department of Pediatrics (SMD)

Education
N/A Health Care Leadership Program	Simon School of Business Administration, University of Rochester	2002
MPH Public Health	University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry	1983
MD Medicine	Cornell University Medical College	1971
BMS	Dartmouth Medical School	1969
AB Biology	Dartmouth College	1967

Post-Doctoral Training & Residency
Professor of Pediatrics, University of Rochester	1999
Visiting Scholar, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University (February through July)	1992
Visiting Scholar, Department of Maternal and Child Health, Harvard School of Public Health (September through December)	1992
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Rochester	1985 - 1999
Associate Chief of Pediatrics, Rochester General Hospital and Acting Chief of Pediatrics at Rochester General Hospital (July and August 1982)	1982 - 1982
Director of Pediatric Ambulatory Programs, Rochester General Hospital	1981 - 1994
Attending Physician, Strong Memorial Hospital/University of Rochester	1979 - 2007
General Pediatrics Academic Fellowship, MPH program, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY and Medical Director , Threshold(Adolescent Health & Counseling Center)	1979 - 1981
Assistant Professor of Maternal, Child Health and Community Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School	1976 - 1979
Staff member, Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital and Hitchcock Clinic	1976 - 1979
Residency in Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry/Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, NY	1974 - 1976
Medical Director and family practitioner, Lowndes County Health Services Association ( National Health Services Corps, United States Public Health Service), Lowndes County, Alabama	1972 - 1974
Internship in Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry/Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, NY	1971 - 1972

Board Certifications
American Board of Pediatrics	1977 - Present

Recent Journal Articles
Showing the 5 most recent journal articles. (50 available)
Kopycka-Kedzierawski DT; Billings RJ; McConnochie KM. "Dental screening of preschool children using teledentistry: a feasibility study." Pediatric dentistry. 2007; 29(3):209-13.
Levine SR; McConnochie KM. "Telemedicine for acute stroke: when virtual is as good as reality." Neurology. 2007; 69(9):819-20.
McConnochie KM; Tan J; Wood NE; Herendeen NE; Kitzman HJ; Roy J; Roghmann KJ. "Acute illness utilization patterns before and after telemedicine in childcare for inner-city children: a cohort study." Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association. 2007; 13(4):381-90.
McConnochie KM; Conners GP; Brayer AF; Goepp J; Herendeen NE; Wood NE; Thomas A; Ahn DS; Roghmann KJ. "Effectiveness of telemedicine in replacing in-person evaluation for acute childhood illness in office settings." Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association. 2006; 12(3):308-16.
McConnochie KM; Conners GP; Brayer AF; Goepp J; Herendeen NE; Wood NE; Thomas A; Ahn DS; Roghmann KJ. "Differences in diagnosis and treatment using telemedicine versus in-person evaluation of acute illness." Ambulatory pediatrics : the official journal of the Ambulatory Pediatric Association. 2006; 6(4):187-95; discussion 196-7.