The effect of telemedicine plus application on the covid-19 patients’ quality of life

Abstract

The covid-19 pandemic affects human life quality. The consultations between patients and health workers are carried out online using telemedicine to stop transmission. This research aimed to assign the effect of the Telemedicine Plus application on the Covid-19 patients’ quality of life. The study method was quasi-experimental with the pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design. The participants were 60 patients who were confirmed positive for Covid-19 in the Ngoresan Region, Surakarta City. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. There were two types of subject criteria: the intervention group, given the Telemedicine Plus application and the control group, given standard therapy. The life quality of the Covid-19 patients was rated using the Short-Form 36 (SF 36) questionnaire. Participants who applied the Telemedicine Plus application experienced an increase in average life quality scores from 39.70 to 50.93, while respondents who received a standard therapy also experienced an increase from 39.93 to 41.67. The independent t-test indicated <0.001 (<0.05) for a p-value. It points out that there is a difference in life quality between the intervention group and the control group significantly. The Telemedicine Plus application improves the Covid-19 patients’ life quality more than patients who receive standard therapy.