Telemedicine for Musculoskeletal Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evaluating Readiness of Saudi Citizens

Abstract

Introduction: Since coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was announced as a global pandemic, it has become important to control the pandemic with several approaches, including limiting hospital visits. Telemedicine is a good option to help reduce in-person visits during the pandemic. Saudi Arabia has prepared for this pandemic by implementing applications, such as Tetamman and Seha. In this study, we aimed to determine the readiness of the Saudi population to use telemedicine for musculoskeletal care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2020 to October 2020. The study used a predesigned, self-administered questionnaire with acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.79). A questionnaire with 30 questions was distributed electronically and randomly to the Saudi population. The included participants were Arabic speakers, Saudis, and men or women age 18 years or older. Results: A total of 635 respondents, of which 250 were men (39.4%) and 385 were women (60.6%), completed the questionnaire. The most common region of residence was the Central region (41.6%), followed by the Eastern region (28%). The proportions of patients who had knowledge about virtual clinics and who used a virtual clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic were 47.6% and 30.4%, respectively. The mean overall attitude score was 24.4 (standard deviation, 9.9) of 35 points; negative, neutral, and positive attitudes were reported among 9.9%, 54.3%, and 35.7% of respondents, respectively. Compared with the older population, younger-aged participants (≤25 years) had significantly more positive attitudes about virtual clinics (χ 2 =6.068; p=0.048). Those respondents who had never been married showed significantly more positive attitudes about virtual clinics compared with those who had been married (χ 2 =6.695; p=0.035). Conclusions: The studied Saudi population shows a moderate level of acceptance of the concept of using telemedicine in musculoskeletal conditions, but some issues about patient access and understanding of the technology remain unaddressed.

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“…This experience has been reported in Saudi Arabia through previous studies, which described the potential and acceptability of DHTPs among the Saudi population. The evidence showed positive results, considering the challenges and limited perspective of clinicians, patients, policymakers, and stakeholders [3,[20][21][22][23][24][25]. Previous national surveys in Saudi Arabia have demonstrated that the DHTPs for COVID-19 have the advantage of wide access, user-friendly interface, ease of use, and high acceptance rate [22][23][24][25][26][27].…”

Optimising Digital Health Platforms in Saudi Arabia: Determinants from the COVID-19 Pandemic Experience

“…This experience had been reported in Saudi Arabia through previous studies, which described the potential and acceptability of DHTPs among the Saudi population. The evidence showed positive results, considering the challenges and limited perspective of clinicians, patients, policymakers, and stakeholders [3,[19][20][21][22][23][24]. Previous national surveys in Saudi Arabia demonstrated that the DHTPs for COVID-19 had the advantage of wide access, user-friendly interface, ease of use, and high acceptance rate [21][22][23][24][25][26].…”