Telemedicine practice among Egyptian urologists: knowledge, attitude, and medicolegal concerns

Abstract

Background The usage and implementation of telemedicine by urologists to diagnose, treat, mentor, and prevent diseases have grown worldwide. Numerous clinical, legal, and ethical issues are addressed by this practice. This is a cross-sectional study based on an anonymous online questionnaire, aimed to assess the current urologists’ knowledge and attitude towards telemedicine use in Egypt. A total of 108 Egyptian urologists filled out the questionnaire which included sociodemographic data, urologist knowledge, attitude regarding telemedicine, and common concerns and barriers. Results Out of the total sample, 75.9% of participants did not use telemedicine modalities until COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 66.7% of participants did not receive formal medicolegal training on using telemedicine. About 62% of participants used personal accounts on social media, and 73.1% of teleconsultations were to assess radiological and laboratory data. Several concerns were highlighted such as possible malpractice risks (79.6%), defamation (72.2%), and keeping patient records (71.3%). Urologists raised many considerable barriers regarding telemedicine, such as lack of patient technology skills (84.3%), absence of regulations or laws (76.9%), insurance reimbursement (57.4%), and lack of administrative support (53.7%). Most of the participants have a positive impression of the advantages of tele-urology. There was a statistically significant difference between the number of cases seen per week and positive total attitude score. Conclusions Although most participants practiced telemedicine, many obstacles were highlighted through the study. Ignoring legal, ethical, personal, and patient issues may also jeopardize the future of telemedicine. Well-established health policies, formal education, and the implementation of regulated laws of telemedicine are fundamental.