Physicians’ Perspective of Telemedicine Regulating Guidelines and Ethical Aspects: A Saudi Experience

Abstract

Background and Objective. The rapid emergence and evolution of digital technology have greatly improved the quality and accessibility of healthcare services worldwide. Nonetheless, the literature is scarce regarding the ethical and legal aspects of telemedicine and social media (SM) use in healthcare. Thus, this paper examines physicians’ perceptions about the use of telemedicine in patient care, their awareness of guidelines for health-related use of telemedicine, and their knowledge, attitude, and practice of the ethical and legal regulations governing the use of telemedicine in the healthcare context. Methods. This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted among physicians working at the College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), and its affiliated academic tertiary hospital, King Fahad Hospital of the University (KFHU), Eastern province-KSA. Data were collected between August 2019 and March 2020 via a structured, pretested, self-administered questionnaire distributed to 220 eligible physicians at KFHU. A final sample of 101 physicians completed our survey. Collected data was coded and analysed using SPSS, and the results presented as frequencies, percentages, and summary statistics. Results. Among our respondents, 62 (61.4%) were males, 46 (45.5%) were in the age group of 35 to 44 years, and 62 (61.3%) were Saudi. Two-thirds of physicians (58 (57.4%)) use smart devices in healthcare delivery, and 51 (50.5%) are satisfied with this use. A minority (21 (20.8%)) knew about telemedicine guidelines, 8 (7.9%) had encountered legal issues related to telemedicine use, and 52 (51.5%) were doubtful about patients’ readiness for virtual care. Regarding physicians’ awareness of the ethical aspects regulating the use of social media and medical apps in patient care, only 44 (45.3%) were aware of the proper reporting system if they found accounts sharing unreliable information. Nevertheless, the majority (91 (92.9%)) agreed it is essential for healthcare providers to report such accounts. Concerning physicians’ awareness of the rules and regulations of online self-promotion, the majority of our respondents were unsure or unaware of such regulations (46 (45.6%) and 18 (17.8%)), respectively. Nonetheless, 67 (66.3%) of the physicians would not pay SM influencers to advertise for them. Conclusion. Two-thirds of our physicians use smart devices in healthcare delivery, with 1 in 13 having encountered related legal issues. Nonetheless, only a minority was aware of telemedicine use regulating guidelines, including physicians’ online self-promotion regulations. These results highlight the necessity of targeted physicians’ training on telemedicine use related guidelines, thereby ensuring the safety of both patients and healthcare professionals and the optimum utilization of online health-related interactions.

Assessing the Awareness and Perception of Telemedicine Among the General Population in the Al-Baha Region, Saudi Arabia

“…The findings also showed a correlation between the association of knowledge and willingness of the participants and their gender. According to Mubaraki et al [10], among 25 physicians from Taif, 36% (9) acknowledge the effectiveness of telemedicine for improving therapeutic intervention, while 44% (11) believe that telemedicine has improved the quality of care. Overall, numerous pieces of literature explore the effectiveness of telemedicine in various settings.…”

“…According to El Kheir et al [11], out of 220 eligible physicians from King Fahad Hospital of the University (KFHU), only two-thirds of physicians utilize smart gadgets to administer healthcare; meanwhile, 1 in 13 reported legal issues with regulations, indicating that only a small segment of the physicians are following the telemedicine regulating guidelines. In Saudi Arabia, although authorities have implemented various strategies and investments to improve the healthcare system in terms of telehealth, various cultural and technical issues regarding telemedicine have been reported [12].…”

Ethical and Legal Aspects of Telerehabilitation in Saudi Arabia

“…Due to the complex variation in rehabilitation practices around the world, there is a dire need for focusing on practice standardization in telerehabilitation locally, as the data on ethical and legal aspects in the country are lacking. ( Clinical Governance Directorate, 2020 ; El Kheir et al, 2022 ; Qureshi et al, 2021 ). Considerable care must be taken when delivering remote health care through telemedicine, especially in situations where a medico-legal framework is lacking, and providers and patients are not well versed with the limitations of telemedicine.…”