Health care professionals' knowledge and attitudes toward telemedicine

Abstract

BackgroundThe utilization of modern communication technology in the healthcare field is known as telemedicine, and it represents an advancement in the healthcare industry. For effective implementation of these technologies, healthcare professionals must possess the appropriate knowledge and hold a positive perspective toward the implementation of telemedicine. The current study aims to evaluate the knowledge and perspective of healthcare professionals in King Fahad Medical City, Saudi Arabia toward telemedicine.MethodsThis study was carried out in a diverse hospital, King Fahad Medical City, Saudi Arabia and it was a cross-sectional study. The study took place from June 2019 until February 2020, during which 370 healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals participated. The data was gathered by using a structured self-administered questionnaire.ResultsThe analysis of the data revealed that the majority of the healthcare professionals who participated in the study, 237 (63.7%), had limited knowledge of telemedicine. About 41 (11%) participants had a good understanding of the technology, and 94 participants (25.3%) had extensive knowledge. The overall attitude of the participants toward telemedicine was positive, with a mean score of 3.26. The mean attitude scores varied significantly (P < 0.001) among the different professions, with physicians scoring 3.69, allied healthcare professionals scoring 3.31, and nurses scoring 3.07. The coefficient of determination (R2) was used to evaluate the variation in attitude toward telemedicine and it was found that education (12.4%) and nationality (4.7%) had the least impact on the attitude toward telemedicine.ConclusionHealthcare professionals are crucial to the successful implementation and continuity of telemedicine. However, despite their positive attitude toward telemedicine, most of the healthcare professionals who participated in the study had limited knowledge of it. There were differences in attitude among different groups of healthcare professionals. As a result, it is necessary to create specialized educational programs for healthcare professionals to guarantee the proper implementation and continuation of telemedicine.

Health Care Professionals’ Understanding and Perceptions of Telemedicine in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review

“…A total of twelve articles were included in the review for having met the inclusion considerations Albarrak et al, 2021;Alghamdi et al, 2022;Aloyuni et al, 2020;Alqurashi et al, 2023;Bashir & Bastola, 2018;Bashir et al, 2023;Moussa et al, 2023;Ullah et al, 2021;Idriss et al, 2022;. The articles conformed to two methodologies -one mixed research and the rest applied the quantitative design.…”

“…However, in some studies, such as Aloyuni et al (2020), sufficient knowledge was only noted in 58.8% of the participants. In another study, Bashir et al (2023) reported that 63.7%, had limited knowledge of telemedicine and only 25% had extensive knowledge. A wide knowledge range was also reported in a study where 92% of the participants had either moderate or advanced knowledge about telemedicine .…”

“…These articles reported positive attitude towards the use of telemedicine. Many researchers mostly reported overall positive scores in the general use of Corresponding Author: Mohammed Alsharabi telemedicine Bashir et al, 2023), nursing quality service delivery (Bashir & Bastola, 2018), and management of chronic diseases . The positive perception is linked to features such as cost effectiveness and convenience (Idriss et al, 2022;Albarrak et al, 2021).…”

Willingness of healthcare providers to perform population-based cancer screening: a cross-sectional study in primary healthcare institutions in Tianjin, China

“…15 Moreover, lack of knowledge and professional experience among healthcare providers also influence utilisation of screening or other healthcare services by affecting their attitudes and willingness to serve. [16][17][18][19][20][21] However, there are few published data on the attitudes and willingness of healthcare providers to provide screening in China.…”

Awareness, Attitude, and Perception of Telemedicine Among Trinidad and Tobago Population

“…Prior to shifts induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine, although promising, remained underutilized in many regions [5]. The primary role of telemedicine was mainly to offer remote consultations, especially for underserved rural populations [6]. Across specialties such as optometry, mental health, paediatrics, and more, telemedicine's offers a new era of healthcare delivery [2,[7][8][9].…”