Patients’ Perception of Telemedicine in a Large Urban Inner-City Emergency Department: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Introduction Telemedicine has the potential to ease emergency department (ED) overcrowding, improve ED throughput, and decrease the cost of medical care. Much of the current knowledge of telemedicine systems focuses on bringing more specialty care to the ED or improving access in rural areas. Limited research exists on patients' perception of telemedicine in an urban ED. Methods A survey exploring perceptions of telemedicine encounters was distributed to both providers and patients following mirrored encounters between October 2015 and August 2016. Chi-square analysis was conducted to identify associations between factors and openness to telemedicine from the patients' perspective. Results A total of 174 patients were included in the analysis. Factors associated with patient willingness to try telemedicine included: having access to a tablet with internet (p=0.0023), having access to a tablet with camera (p=0.0025), having downloaded apps in the past (p=0.0028), having used an app in the past (p<0.0001), and had frequent video chat in the past (p=0.0142). Conclusion With widespread access to smartphones with internet connectivity and pressing demands for healthcare services, telemedicine may provide a potential solution to low acuity medical care needs.

Telemedicine Acceptance and Usage in Jakarta Metropolitan Area

“…The higher proportion of telemedicine users who have less than 4.5 million Rupiah as their monthly income (which is below Jakarta's regional minimum wage) may be attributed to its lower prices than regular care, thus becoming more economically accessible for those in the lower socioeconomic group (Sechrist et al, 2020). Another study also reports that, unlike traditional care, telemedicine allows the working population to get medical consultations without being absent from work or having to commute (Powell et al, 2017).…”

Agile Application of Video Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Paediatric and young patients found to embrace telemedicine readily because they are using the latest technologies in their routine life. Interestingly, in our collected data, we saw the largest patient group engaged were patients above 51 years of age [ 15 ].…”

“…The addition of the video element, to a virtual clinic, has the ability to pick up non-verbal communication, making the video consultation effective as face-to-face (F2F) consultations. Negative influences include patient suitability and preference, and the lack of physical examination or ability to deliver a procedure or intervention [ 13 - 15 ].…”

Views and Perceptions on Telemedicine by Consumers in Delhi

“…Telemedicine may provide a potential solution to the low-intensity medical care needs of many communities, particularly those in low socioeconomic communities, with the advent of prevalent smartphone availability, fast and widely available internet access, and pressing needs for healthcare services [10]. The benefits of reducing geographical constraints between patients and clinicians are also being leveraged to promote access to high-level critical care in places that are otherwise neglected by medical services [11].…”

“…Another study done with both providers and patients concluded that telemedicine may be a viable answer to limited medical care needs, given widespread access to cell phones with internet access and increasing demand for quality healthcare [23].…”