Abstract
BackgroundTelehealth plays a key role in supporting health care systems and influencing methods of health care delivery. Government laws and medical operating protocols have been largely modified to provide remote care to reduce social contact and ensure a safer patient environment. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the Ministry of Health (MOH) introduced several forms of telemedicine as alternatives to face-to-face consultations in clinical settings.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the awareness and utilization of telehealth services before and during the COVID-19 outbreak in the KSA.MethodsIn this longitudinal study, we compared the awareness and utilization of 937-telephone health services (ie, a toll-free telephone service to provide medical and administrative health care services at any time for the population) before and during the COVID-19 outbreak in the KSA. Using a convenience sampling technique, a validated web-based questionnaire was distributed on social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp) at 2 timepoints: before (February 2019) and during (May 2020) the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsThe study sample comprised a total of 1961 participants who completed the questionnaire before (n=1303, 66%) and during (n=658, 33%) the COVID-19 pandemic. Both awareness (before=46% vs during=78%) and utilization (before=42% vs during=48%) of the 937-telephone health services increased significantly during the pandemic (P<.001). No significant association of the awareness or utilization of 937-telephone health services before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was found with respect to the participants’ age, education level, having children, or having any chronic disease.ConclusionsOur findings indicate significant increases in the awareness and utilization of 937-telephone health services during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting an increase in public acceptance of the service and providing evidence of an equitable telemedicine service for the population. Further studies are needed to provide a deeper understanding of the barriers and facilitators to the use of 937-telephone health services for different groups of the population.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the manner in which health care services are provided to patients worldwide
This study aimed to assess the awareness and utilization of the 937-telephone health services before and during the COVID-19 outbreak in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and we hypothesized that awareness and utilization of the 937-telephone health services increased during the pandemic
Since the COVID-19 outbreak in the KSA, the government has employed a number of policies to implement some level of lockdown, including the cancellation of regular outpatient visits, the prioritization of hospital usage for COVID-19 cases, and the expansion and improvement of available telehealth services
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the manner in which health care services are provided to patients worldwide. Government laws and medical operating protocols have been largely modified to provide remote care to reduce social contact and ensure a safer patient environment. Methods: In this longitudinal study, we compared the awareness and utilization of 937-telephone health services (ie, a toll-free telephone service to provide medical and administrative health care services at any time for the population) before and during the COVID-19 outbreak in the KSA. Results: The study sample comprised a total of 1961 participants who completed the questionnaire before (n=1303, 66%) and during (n=658, 33%) the COVID-19 pandemic Both awareness (before=46% vs during=78%) and utilization (before=42% vs during=48%) of the 937-telephone health services increased significantly during the pandemic (P
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