A cross-sectional online survey on patients' satisfaction using store-and-forward voice and text messaging teleconsultation service during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

AIM

This study aimed to evaluate the patients' satisfaction with using store-and-forward voice and text messaging teleconsultation service to provide primary health care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHOD

A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 1 and December 1, 2020, in Iran. The study population consisted of patients who used the service. Three hundred-ninety-six patients were enrolled in the study by convenience sampling. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire. The face, comprehensibility, and content validity of the questionnaire were tested and met. The reliability of this questionnaire was confirmed (r = 0.9). Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression were conducted. Data were analyzed using STATA 14.0 software.

RESULTS

In total, 396 patients responded to the online questionnaire. The mean age of patients was 37 ± 10.31 years. More than half of them had an academic degree (65.40 %). Teleconsultation was considered satisfactory by 172 patients (43.43 %), while more than half of the patients (56.57 %) were unsatisfied with teleconsultation. In terms of "quality of care provided" and "patient information privacy" components, around 41 % of patients were satisfied. However, the number of patients who feel satisfied with teleconsultation's similarity to a face-to-face encounter was lower (37.88 %). The results showed no significant relationship between age, gender, education, and overall satisfaction (p > 0.05). The association between overall satisfaction and health status was (AOR = 1.51, 95 % CI = 1.16-1.96).

CONCLUSION

More than half of patients from our study did not have a good experience with teleconsultation. This is also partially due to the use of existing communication platform, instead of custom-made solution. It is necessary to improve the services' quality and meet patients' needs to optimize patients' experience, particularly during a health crisis, resulting in better health outcomes and end-user satisfaction.