Follow-Up of Cases with the Telemedicine Method During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Alternative Strategy for Reduction of Hospital Workload and Hospital-Related Transmissions

Çelebi, Miray Yılmaz; Kıymet, Elif; Böncüoğlu, Elif; Şahinkaya, Şahika; Cem, Ela; Düzgöl, Mine; Kara, Aybüke Akaslan; Arıkan, Kamile Ötiken; Besin, Dorukhan; Bayram, Nuri; Devrim, İlker

doi:10.1089/tmj.2021.0613

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 18 publications

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“…Previously, varied responses were reported that telemedicine services threaten the privacy of patients, as unauthorized persons may access the data of the patients by using the smart modes of technology and may jeopardize the confidentiality of the patient ( 18 ). Furthermore, telemedicine reduces the workload on staff (72%) as it prevents unnecessary hospital visits, hospital admissions, and emergency overuse ultimately lowering the burden on medical staff ( 19 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of knowledge and attitude of healthcare professionals regarding the use of telemedicine: A cross-sectional study from rural areas of Sindh, Pakistan

Kumar¹,

Shardha²,

Tariq

et al. 2022

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundTelemedicine has proved its significance in the healthcare system, especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as it assists in the provision of early and effective healthcare to those in distant areas. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of healthcare professionals toward the use of telemedicine in the rural areas of Sindh, Pakistan.Materials and methodsThe cross-sectional study was conducted with 212 healthcare professionals including physicians, consultants, surgeons, residents, dentists, and house officers working in public sector hospitals. The face-to-face method was used for data collection. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were applied to find the association between different variables and knowledge and practice of telemedicine using SPSS V 24.ResultsThe knowledge of participants regarding the usability of telemedicine and various tools used for the provision of medical services (video consultations, conferencing, use of applications, software, and online groups) was good. A total of 52.2% of participants showed agreement when they were questioned about being aware of online healthcare service provision. In this study, 52.8% of the participants practiced telemedicine by delivering healthcare services through online consultations. The majority of the participants were surgeons (25.9%), residents (23.1%), and physicians (18.9%). The internet (42.4%) and public media (25.9%) were the major sources of information for telemedicine. A total of 70.5% of participants suggested that strategies and efforts should be directed toward the enhanced implementation of telemedicine. Training in telemedicine as a source of information [OR = 13.02 (95% CI = 3.9–43.6), p < 0.001)] and awareness regarding the effect of telemedicine in healthcare quality [OR = 10.25 (95% CI = 2.9–35.4), p < 0.001)] remained the predicting factors for the practice of telemedicine among healthcare workers using multivariate regression analysis.ConclusionTelemedicine has technologically revolutionized the medical sciences worldwide. The awareness level and usage of telemedicine were good among healthcare professionals in rural Sindh. Telemedicine should be utilized to provide quality healthcare in underprivileged areas by investing in infrastructure and education.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%