Reasons for Utilizing Telemedicine during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Internet-Based International Study

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic challenges healthcare services. Concomitantly, this pandemic had a stimulating effect on technological expansions related to telehealth and telemedicine. We sought to elucidate the principal patients’ reasons for using telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic and the propensity to use it thereafter. Our primary objective was to identify the reasons of the survey participants’ disparate attitudes toward the use of telemedicine. We performed an online, multilingual 30-question survey for 14 days during March–April 2021, focusing on the perception and usage of telemedicine and their intent to use it after the pandemic. We analyzed the data to identify the attributes influencing the intent to use telemedicine and built decision trees to highlight the most important related variables. We examined 473 answers: 272 from Israel, 87 from Uruguay, and 114 worldwide. Most participants were women (64.6%), married (63.8%) with 1–2 children (52.9%), and living in urban areas (84.6%). Only a third of the participants intended to continue using telemedicine after the COVID-19 pandemic. Our main findings are that an expected substitution effect, technical proficiency, reduced queueing times, and peer experience are the four major factors in the overall adoption of telemedicine. Specifically, (1) for most participants, the major factor influencing their telemedicine usage is the implicit expectation that such a visit will be a full substitute for an in-person appointment; (2) another factor affecting telemedicine usage by patients is their overall technical proficiency and comfort level in the use of common web-based tools, such as social media, while seeking relevant medical information; (3) time saving as telemedicine can allow for asynchronous communications, thereby reducing physical travel and queuing times at the clinic; and finally (4) some participants have also indicated that telemedicine seems more attractive to them after watching family and friends (peer experience) use it successfully.

Is Telemedicine in Primary Care a Good Option for Polish Patients with Visual Impairments Outside of a Pandemic?

“…Our findings of the reasons for TCs utilization are consistent with the motivations described in previous studies, these being “Non-Queue Requests” such as the convenience of e-records, e-referrals, and remotely issued sick leave; time saving; emergencies [ 63 ]; and economic factors [ 49 ]. The responses to the open-ended questions indicate that TCs have been mainly regarded as useful in emergencies or, conversely, in situations where the physician knows the patient, and the consultation is of a follow-up nature.…”

“…Our respondents’ previous experience with TCs was not statistically significant for their current interest in using them. Previously, an international study [ 63 ] showed that TM use before the COVID-19 pandemic did not always increase the level of interest in its use after the pandemic. Further studies regarding the experiences and satisfaction with TM services among Polish PwDs could provide a deeper insight into patients’ attitudes towards TCs.…”

A Teleconsultation Device, Consult Station, for Remote Primary Care: Multisite Prospective Cohort Study

“…Most of the patients were younger working women of childbearing age. This gender ratio might be explained by women being overrepresented in the use of the internet and telemedicine [ 11 , 15 ] and because time-saving is a major factor for telemedicine usage [ 31 ]. Appointments within 48 hours, convenient health care access comparable to private practice, and flexibility could all contribute considerably to patient satisfaction and acceptance of the Consult Station health care system, as reported with other telemedicine devices [ 32 , 33 ].…”

Effect of Psychosocial Factors in the Use of Telemedicine

“…Family members who have used telemedicine services substantially impact consumers' intentions to participate in using them in the future. 29 Family support also affects consumer acceptance of technological developments through decisions on telemedicine services, 30 while the reference group shows results that do not affect consumer decisions in telemedicine services (p=0.193). This is not in line with previous research, which stated that social groups or reference groups influenced consumers to use telemedicine services.…”