Telemedicine during COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons’ Knowledge and Implementation

Amjad Ebrahim Alshommemri,Manal Abdalla Eltahir,Rayan Suliman Alyahya

doi:10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i58a34125

Amjad Ebrahim Alshommemri, Manal Abdalla Eltahir + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i58a34125

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Abstract

Telemedicine can significantly improve health care delivery for patients with limited access to medical services. Innovative uses of this kind of technology in the provision of healthcare is increasing with the emergence of the virus causing the disease COVID-19, there is an urgency to expand the use of technology to help people who need routine care. This study aimed to assess oral and maxillofacial surgeons' knowledge of telemedicine and its applications, and incorporation of telemedicine into their clinical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This is a cross section, Questionnaire based study conducted among oral and maxillofacial surgeons in Saudi Arabia from November 2020 to January 2021. The study sample included 200 oral and maxillofacial surgeons from different regions in Saudi Arabia which has been calculated depend on reality of the Saudi health workforce during the next ten years 2018-2027 book and the total number of OMS and oral surgeons who was registered was approximately 300. The self-administered questionnaire (which was constructed after extensive reviewing of the literature in the same context) was distributed among the selected surgeons using online platform; the components of that questionnaire were: socio demographic characteristics, knowledge of telemedicine technology, using of telemedicine before and during COVID-19 and security of telemedicine technology. A Scoring Criteria used to indicate the knowledge of OMS and oral surgeons towards the use of telemedicine technology. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 21. Results: A total of 69 OM surgeons were responded, of which 52.2% were females. The knowledge of the surgeons regarding telemedicine was moderate among 43.5% (mean: 11.6; SD: 4.12, out of 20 points). Surgeons who were working in the private clinic (F=2.982; p=0.027), those who had heard of telemedicine (t=4.987; p<0.001) and those who implemented telemedicine at a current workplace before COVID-19 (t=3.873; p<0.001) had significantly better knowledge score than the rest. Conclusion: Although there was an increased implementation of telemedicine use during the covid-19 pandemic, the oral and maxillofacial surgeon’s knowledge about it seems to be low.

Highlights

Telemedicine, a term invented in the 1970s, is characterized as "the provision of healthcare services, where distance is a major consideration, by all healthcare providers using information and communication technology for the sharing of actual information for detection, care, and control of illness and injuries, study and evaluation, and education programs of health care providers, all in the service of improving the health of the people and communities” [1,2]
Surgeons who were working in the private clinic (F=2.982; p=0.027), those who had heard of telemedicine (t=4.987; p
This study enrolled 69 OM surgeons to measure their knowledge about telemedicine before and during COVID-19

Summary

Introduction

Telemedicine, a term invented in the 1970s, is characterized as "the provision of healthcare services, where distance is a major consideration, by all healthcare providers using information and communication technology for the sharing of actual information for detection, care, and control of illness and injuries, study and evaluation, and education programs of health care providers, all in the service of improving the health of the people and communities” [1,2] It refers to the use of information systems in healthcare delivery, such as smartphones, email, video conferencing, and other networking technology, to provide and facilitate clinical treatment remotely [3,4]. Multiple providers might share radiographs, periodontal and hard tissue charting, treatment notes, photos, and any other required diagrams or details Patients, especially those in need of a professional consultation, would benefit greatly from this exchange of knowledge [10]. Telemedicine in oral and maxillofacial surgery helps with differential diagnosis, care, follow-up, and disease control, and thereby improves patient care quality without needing the involvement of a maxillofacial surgeon in isolated places [11]

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