Assessing patient confidence in telehealth: Comparing across 17 medical specialties

Abstract

Background: Telehealth has become an increasingly vital component of healthcare delivery, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. As telemedicine expands its reach, understanding patient confidence in using telehealth services across different medical specialties is crucial for its continued adoption.

Objective: This study aims to address this need by exploring patient confidence in telemedicine for various health conditions.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online self-administered survey. We collected data from 390 respondents, examining demographic information, patient confidence levels, and factors influencing their confidence. The survey included 27 questions and focused on health conditions where telehealth is most applicable, such as chronic disease management, mental health services, and preventive care. Participants rated their confidence in using telehealth for various conditions on a 5-point Likert scale.

Results: The overall confidence score averaged 3.3 (SD = 0.713), indicating moderate confidence among participants. The Friedman test revealed significant variability in patients' reported confidence levels regarding the use of telehealth across different medical specialties. General consultations were rated the highest (mean rank = 11.97), while emergency scenarios received the lowest confidence ratings (mean rank = 6.19).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that patient confidence in telehealth varies significantly across different medical scenarios, emphasizing the need for tailored telehealth strategies to address specific patient concerns and improve confidence in its use. Developing specialty-specific guidelines and policies can further support the effective integration and adoption of telehealth in the delivery of care.

Keywords: Telemedicine; digital health; patient preference; patient-centered care; physician-patient relations; telehealth; virtual health.

Figure 1.

Bar chart comparing the mean rank of participants confidence in using telehealth across the different medical specialties.

Figure 2.

Mean scores of patients’ confidence in using telehealth services across medical specialties, rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not confident, 5 = highly confident).