Measuring the Patients’ Satisfaction About Telemedicine Used in Saudi Arabia During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background Many studies have found that telemedicine and telehealth services quality and patients’ clinical outcomes, following telehealth visits, maybe comparable to those of traditional face-to-face office visits especially in a crisis like COVID-19 complete lockdown. Objective This study aimed to identify the patient's experience in using the telemedicine strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess these patients' perception about their experience of using telemedicine in Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional survey study was done on 425 patients treated through telemedicine programs in Saudi Arabia from February to August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire was adopted and modified to elicit participants’ socio-demographic data, participants’ satisfaction and attitude toward telehealth and telemedicine, and their views on health care services. Results About 84.9% of the participants thought that telemedicine made healthcare easier during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost half of the respondent was very satisfied with the ease of registration (52%), while 43.4% of respondents stated that they had the ability to talk freely over telemedicine. In the present study, The highest satisfaction was reported by 53.4% of respondents for ease registration, 40.1% for quality of the visual image, 41.9% for quality of the audio sound, and 44.8% for their ability to talk freely over telemedicine, respectively. The highest satisfaction was reported by 40.5% about the ability to understand the recommendations, 40.5% about the overall quality of care provided, 37.4% about the overall telemedicine consult experience. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between satisfaction and attitude scores. Conclusion This study revealed acceptable satisfaction and attitude of patients toward telemedicine programs in Saudi Arabia. However, more effort should be done by the Saudi Ministry of Health to increase the knowledge of patients about teleconsultation available services.

Digital Health Platforms in Saudi Arabia: Determinants from the COVID-19 Pandemic Experience

“…The evidence showed positive results, considering the challenges and limited perspective of clinicians, patients, policymakers, and stakeholders [3,[20][21][22][23][24][25]. Previous national surveys in Saudi Arabia have demonstrated that the DHTPs for COVID-19 have the advantage of wide access, user-friendly interface, ease of use, and high acceptance rate [22][23][24][25][26][27].…”

Patients’ Perceptions and Satisfaction with the Outpatient Telemedicine Clinics during COVID-19 Era in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…A systematic review conducted by Kruse et al revealed that assessing patients’ satisfaction toward telehealth and its associated factors could help stakeholders to find solutions for specific problems [ 15 ]. A recent study by Asma et al in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) reported that nearly one-third (37%) of patients were highly satisfied with the telemedicine services provided to them during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 18 ].…”

Utilization of Health Applications Among Patients Diagnosed with Chronic Diseases in Jazan, Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Abdel Nasser et al reported that 53.4% of users were satisfied with the easy registration, while a smaller percentage were satisfied with the audio and video quality of the telemedicine session (40.1% and 41.9% respectively). 14 Finally, in another online survey targeting patients who benefited from virtual clinic services in primary healthcare settings between March and July 2020, 439 patients were identified and factors associated with satisfaction were assessed, with male patients and those with lower education levels being more likely to be satisfied with the virtual clinic services. 15 …”