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. 2024 Apr 5:12:1384078.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1384078. eCollection 2024.

COVID-19 patient satisfaction and associated factors in telemedicine and hybrid system

Dagmawit G Gashaw  1 , Zewdie Aderaw Alemu  2 , Freddy Constanzo  3   4 , Feben T Belay  5 , Yakob W Tadesse  6 , Carla Muñoz  4 , Juan Pablo Rojas  4 , Cristobal Alvarado-Livacic  4
Affiliations

COVID-19 patient satisfaction and associated factors in telemedicine and hybrid system

Dagmawit G Gashaw et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: The quality assessment of the home-based isolation and care program (HBIC) relies heavily on patient satisfaction and length of stay. COVID-19 patients who were isolated and received HBIC were monitored through telephone consultations (TC), in-person TC visits, and a self-reporting application. By evaluating patient satisfaction and length of stay in HBIC, healthcare providers could gauge the effectiveness and efficiency of the HBIC program.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design enrolled 444 HBIC patients who answered a structured questionnaire. A binary logistic regression model assessed the association between independent variables and patient satisfaction. The length of stay in HBIC was analyzed using Cox regression analysis. The data collection started on April (1-30), 2022, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Results: The median age was 34, and 247 (55.6%) were females. A greater proportion (313, 70.5%) of the participants had high satisfaction. Higher frequency of calls (>3 calls) (AOR = 2.827, 95% CI = 1.798, 4.443, p = 0.000) and those who were symptomatic (AOR = 2.001, 95% CI = 1.289, 3.106, p = 0.002) were found to be significant factors for high user satisfaction. Higher frequency of calls (>3 calls) (AHR = 0.537, 95% CI = 0.415, 0.696, p = 0.000) and more in-person visits (>1 visit) (AHR = 0.495, 95% CI = 0.322, 0.762, p = 0.001) had greater chances to reduce the length of stay in the COVID-19 HBIC.

Conclusion: 70.5% of the participants had high satisfaction with the system, and frequent phone call follow-ups on patients' clinical status can significantly improve their satisfaction and length of recovery. An in-person visit is also an invaluable factor in a patient's recovery.

Keywords: COVID-19; digital health; home care; patient satisfaction; telehealth; telemedicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Addis Ababa district locations. This map of the 11 Addis Ababa sub-cities is included in this study. Lemi Kura is a new district and is not included in this map.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Data collection. Sampling technique from each sub-city in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Patient’s response from telephone calls. Response rate and reasons for non-response include: (i) wrong phone number, (ii) no follow-up, and (iii) other.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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