Satisfaction of the general population with telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Telemedicine is the real-time encounter between individuals exchanging medical information via electronic communications. Objectives: To assess the satisfaction and preparedness of patients to continue the use of telemedicine services. Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, survey-based study conducted at King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January 2021 to June 2021. A questionnaire was adopted from a validated patient satisfaction survey after obtaining the authors' permission. It was translated into Arabic and distributed to the general population after pretesting and cognitive interviewing. Results: The study included 390 participants. Their age ranged between 18 and 65 years; the highest number of participants was in the age range of 25-34 years. Females represented the majority of participants (297, 76.2%). Two-thirds of the participants were college graduates (281, 72.1%). The most utilized method of telemedicine by participants was through phone calls (245, 62.8%). Medical consults were the main reason for telemedicine use (249, 63.8%). Respondents were highly satisfied with the use of telemedicine (331, 84.9%). Conclusion: This study has shown high levels of satisfaction and consensus, making it clear that the expansion of this area of cyber healthcare is safer and more cost-effective, with similar advantages to the traditional office visits. The expansion and utilization of telemedicine services should be supported more widely to accomplish the aforementioned benefits, reaching out to more remote places where patients may have easier access to qualified healthcare practitioners.