Physicians’ Perceptions of Telemedicine Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background The term “telemedicine” refers to the use of communication technology to deliver health care remotely. The COVID-19 pandemic had substantial impacts on health care delivery from 2020 onward, and it was necessary to adapt high-quality care in a manner that limited the potential for viral exposure of both patients and health care workers. Physicians employed video, phone, and electronic written (e-consultation) visits, all of which provided quality of care comparable to that of face-to-face visits while reducing barriers of adopting telemedicine. Objective This study sought to assess physicians’ perspectives and attitudes regarding the use of telemedicine in Riyadh hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main objects of assessment were as follows: (1) physicians’ experience using telemedicine, (2) physicians’ willingness to use telemedicine in the future, (3) physicians’ perceptions of patient experiences, and (4) the influence of telemedicine on burnout. Methods This study employed SurveyMonkey to develop and distribute an anonymous 28-question cross-sectional survey among physicians across all specialty disciplines in Riyadh hospitals. A chi-square test was used to determine the level of association between variables, with significance set to P<.05. Results The survey was distributed among 500 physicians who experienced telemedicine between October 2021 and December 2021. A total of 362 doctors were included, of whom 28.7% (n=104) were consultants, 30.4% (n=110) were specialists, and 40.9% (n=148) were residents. Male doctors formed the majority 56.1% (n=203), and female doctors accounted for 43.9% (n=159). Overall, 34% (n=228) agreed or somewhat agreed that the “quality of care during telemedicine is comparable with that of face-to-face visits.” Approximately 70% (n=254) believed that telemedicine consultation is cost-effective. Regarding burnout, 4.1% (n=15), 7.5% (n=27), and 27.3% (n=99) of the doctors reported feeling burnout every day, a few times a week, and a few times per month, respectively. Conclusions The physicians had generally favorable attitudes toward telemedicine, believing that its quality of health care delivery is comparable to that of in-person care. However, further research is necessary to determine how physicians’ attitudes toward telemedicine have changed since the pandemic and how this virtual technology can be used to improve physicians’ professional and personal well-being.

Knowledge and Perceptions of Hospital Care Staff towards Medical Internet of Things and the Role of Awareness Videos: A Quasi Experimental Study

“…These findings align with the recent research by [35], where 70% of 362 doctors from Riyadh, KSA affirmed that they are skilled at telemedicine, and 54% said they can independently solve technological issues during telemedicine visits.…”

Perceived barriers to effective use of telehealth in managing the care of patients with cardiovascular diseases: a qualitative study exploring healthcare professionals’ views in Jordan

“…In addition, telehealth caused a problem for physicians due to constant access by patients and intrusion into physicians’ private lives. This finding reverberated what other researchers found, as they argued that there is a problem of overreach and burnout when access to healthcare personnel is granted [ 28 – 30 ].…”

Evaluating community knowledge, attitude, and practices toward implementation of telemedicine in Saudi Arabia

“…This study included most of the community populations with their different specialties. Other studies on telemedicine were associated with COVID-19, and this factor may have some influence on the results given that people during the pandemic tried to avoid visiting health care services, gave attention and used other methods for medical consultation and treatment, such as telephone calls and online contact with their physicians [9, 11].…”

“…This study revealed that 70% (n=254) of responding physicians believed that telemedicine consultations are cost-effective. Regarding burnout, 4.1% (n=15), 7.5% (n=27), and 27.3% (n=99) of the doctors reported feeling burnout every day, a few times a week, and a few times per month, respectively [9].…”

“…These concerns were mainly patient privacy, the high cost of equipment, the lack of suitable training and the lack of consultation between information technology experts and medical staff. All these stated factors are inconsistent with various published studies, and more studies should be conducted in this field to fill the gap between the theoretical and practical implementation of telemedicine in the field [9].…”