Table 4 Characteristics of quality of telemedicine using the phone and online platformsa
From: Opportunities and challenges in delivering remote primary care during the Coronavirus outbreak
Question/Response | Result |
|---|---|
Counseling over the phone n(%) | N = 157 |
Previous experience with performing telephone counseling | |
Yes | 51 (32.5) |
Limited experience | 50 (31.8) |
No | 56 (35.7) |
How would you compare the duration of phone counseling in comparison to face-to-face counseling? | |
Similar in duration to face-to-face counseling | 33 (21.0) |
Much longer than face-to-face counseling | 15 (9.6) |
Slightly longer face-to-face counseling | 17 (10.8) |
Much shorter than face-to-face counseling | 23 (14.6) |
Slightly shorter than face-to-face counseling | 69 (44.0) |
Percentage of the patients that were requested to arrive at a face-to-face meeting following a telephone counseling | |
None | 4 (2.5) |
25% | 141 (89.9) |
50% and above | 12 (7.6) |
Percent of patients who shared photographs or videos during the meeting [median (interquartile range)]a | 4 (5.0) |
How would you compare phone counseling to usual counseling (face-to-face)? n (%) | |
Superior to face-to-face counseling | 12 (7.6) |
Similar to face-to-face counseling | 30 (19.1) |
Inferior to face-to-face counseling | 108 (68.8) |
Not certain | 7 (4.5) |
The overall quality of counseling [median (interquartile range)]b | 6.2 (3.0) |
Level of physician’s convenience in performing phone counseling n,(%) | |
Highly convenience | 34 (21.7) |
Reasonably convenience | 65(41.4) |
Not highly convenient | 48 (30.6) |
Not convenient at all | 10 (6.3) |
Intention to use telephone counseling in the future n (%) | |
Yes | 41(26.2) |
Yes, while combining phone and face-to-face counseling | 85 (54.2) |
Not certain | 23 (14.6) |
No | 8 (5.0) |
Counseling using an online (video) platform | |
Previous experience with performing online video counseling n (%) | N = 56 |
Yes | 22 (39.3) |
Limited experience | 11(19.6) |
No | 23 (41.1) |
How would you compare the duration of phone counseling in comparison to face-to-face counseling? n (%) | |
Similar in duration to face-to-face counseling | 18 (32.1) |
Much longer than face-to-face counseling | 2 (3.6) |
Slightly longer face-to-face counseling | 11(19.7) |
Much shorter than face-to-face counseling | 7 (12.5) |
Slightly shorter than face-to-face counseling | 18 (32.1) |
Percentage of the patients that were requested to arrive at a face-to-face meeting following a telephone counseling n (%) | |
None | 12 (21.4) |
25% | 42 (75.0) |
50% and above | 2 (3.6) |
How would you compare online counseling to usual counseling (face-to-face)? n (%) | |
Superior to face-to-face counseling | 2 (3.6) |
Similar to face-to-face counseling | 20 (35.7) |
Inferior to face-to-face counseling | 32 (57.1) |
Not certain | 2 (3.6) |
Level of physician’s convenience in performing video counseling n,(%) | |
Highly convenience | 18 (32.1) |
Reasonably convenience | 23 (41.1) |
Not highly convenient | 14 (25.0) |
Not convenient at all | 1 (1.8) |
Intention to use telephone counseling in the future n (%) | |
Yes | 30 (53.5) |
Yes, while combining phone and face-to-face counseling | 15 (26.8) |
Not certain | 9 (16.1) |
No | 2 (3.6) |
Quality of counseling [median (interquartile range)]a | |
Overall qualityb | 7 (2) |
Technical qualityb | 6 (2) |
Physician challenges in performing the online counseling | |
Organizational difficultiesb | 7 (3) |
Technical difficulties, n (%) | 16 (10.0) |
Difficulties due to lack of physical examination, n (%) | 16 (10.0) |
Scheduling difficulties, n (%) | 9 (5.6) |
Other c, n (%) | 12 (7.5) |
In comparison to the face-to-face meeting, have you prescribed more antibiotics? n (%) | N = 159 |
Yes | 90 (56.6) |
Prescribed as usual | 69 (43.4) |
In comparison to the face-to-face meeting, have you sent more blood tests? n (%) | |
Yes | 26 (16.4) |
Blood tests as usual | 133 (83.6) |
In comparison to the face-to-face meeting, have you referred patients to experts more than usual? n (%) | |
Yes | 39 (24.5) |
Referrals as usual | 120 (75.5) |
In comparison to the face-to-face meeting, have you referred to more imaging tests? n (%) | |
Yes | 79 (49.7) |
Imagining as usual | 80 (50.3) |
Patient Outcomes | N = 159 |
Perceived level of patient comfort in receiving remote counseling (phone or video) [median (interquartile range]) | 8 (3) |
Types of difficulties reported by patients during online (video) or phone counseling n (%) | |
Technical difficulties | 48 (30.0) |
Interpersonal communication difficulties | 33 (20.6) |
Difficulties due to lack of physical examination | 22 (13.8) |
Difficulties/inconvenience from conducting the session in the home environment | 7 (4.4) |
Otherc | 14 (8.8) |