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. 2023 Nov-Dec;48(6):915-919.
doi: 10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_770_22. Epub 2023 Dec 1.

Telemedicine Awareness and the Preferred Digital Healthcare Tools: A Community-based Cross-sectional Study from Rural Karnataka, India

Parvathi Malladra Parameshwarappa  1 , Jeby Jose Olickal  2
Affiliations

Telemedicine Awareness and the Preferred Digital Healthcare Tools: A Community-based Cross-sectional Study from Rural Karnataka, India

Parvathi Malladra Parameshwarappa et al. Indian J Community Med. 2023 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Background: The Indian government launched national teleconsultation services (eSanjeevani OPD) to provide safe doctor-to-patient consultations. This study aimed to determine the awareness and willingness to seek services from eSanjeevani OPDs.

Material and methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in Nandigudi village, Karnataka. The total sample size was 273, and participants were recruited using a systematic sampling technique.

Results: The prevalence of awareness about teleconsultations was 2.2% (n = 6, 95% CI: 0.8-4.7%). None of the participants utilized eSanjeevani services in the last year. Approximately 56.0% (n = 153, 95% CI: 49.9-62.0%) were willing to use eSanjeevani OPD. "Not being familiar" (n = 99, 82.5%) with eSanjeevani OPD was the major reason for unwillingness to use teleconsultation, and 73.8% (n = 113) preferred video calls as the mode of communication.

Conclusion: The majority of the participants were not aware of and were unwilling to use eSanjeevani OPD. Therefore, healthcare professionals should focus more on creating awareness of teleconsultations.

Keywords: COVID-19; Digital health; primary care.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Selection of participants from households among individuals residing in rural areas of Harihara Taluk, Karnataka, India during April–May 2022 (N = 273)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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