Telemedicine During COVID-19 Pandemic: Endocrine Surgery Patient Perspective

Abstract

Introduction In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many medical providers have turned to telemedicine as an alternative method to provide ambulatory patient care. Perspectives of endocrine surgery patients regarding this mode of healthcare delivery remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the opinions and perspectives of endocrine surgery patients regarding telemedicine. Methods The first 100 adult patients who had their initial telemedicine appointment with two endocrine surgeons were contacted at the conclusion of their visit. The survey administered assessed satisfaction with telemedicine, the provider, and whether attire or video background played a role in their perception of the quality of care received using a 5-point Likert scale. Differences in responses between new and returning patients were also evaluated. Results Telemedicine endocrine surgery patients stated excellent satisfaction with their visit (4.89 out of 5) and their provider (4.96 out of 5). While there was less consensus that telemedicine was equivalent to in-person or face-to face clinic visits (4.15 out of 5), patients would recommend a telemedicine visit to others and most agreed that this modality made it easier to obtain healthcare (4.7 out of 5). Attire of the provider and video background did not influence patient opinion in regard to the quality of care they received. Returning patients were more likely to be satisfied with this modality (4.94 vs 4.73, p = 0.02) compared to new patients. Conclusion This study shows that telemedicine does not compromise patient satisfaction or healthcare delivery for patients and is a viable clinic option for endocrine surgery.

Development of a Telemedicine Acceptance Model in Indonesia by Considering Trust and Usability Factors for Self-Isolated Patients

“…Based on the data released, the number of users reached 38 million active users for two telemedicine applications, namely Halodoc and Alodokter [1]. This data indicates that the acceptance of virtual remote health care provides alternative access to patient care, making it a very useful modality during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when self-isolating [2]. Telemedicine is one of the health service innovations carried out by medical experts to patients remotely, using digital platforms to exchange valid information in diagnosis, treatment, disease prevention, and health evaluation [3,4].…”

“…This can also reduce the cost of treatment and hospital visits [6]. The Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic creates challenges for easy access to health consultations [2]. This is because most countries including Indonesia are implementing strict policies to limit the spread of the virus [7].…”

“…This is because most countries including Indonesia are implementing strict policies to limit the spread of the virus [7]. Uncertainty around disease transmission limits patients' ability to visit health clinics [2].…”