Assessing patient confidence in telehealth: Comparing across 17 medical specialties

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 adopti...

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Main Author: Abdulrahman M Jabour
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-04-01
Series:Digital Health
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251330486
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author Abdulrahman M Jabour
author_facet Abdulrahman M Jabour
author_sort Abdulrahman M Jabour
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description 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.
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spelling doaj-art-99997d53eb2e4efa816c6c5efbe2201e2025-08-20T02:19:51ZengSAGE PublishingDigital Health2055-20762025-04-011110.1177/20552076251330486Assessing patient confidence in telehealth: Comparing across 17 medical specialtiesAbdulrahman M JabourBackground 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.https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251330486
spellingShingle Abdulrahman M Jabour
Assessing patient confidence in telehealth: Comparing across 17 medical specialties
Digital Health
title Assessing patient confidence in telehealth: Comparing across 17 medical specialties
title_full Assessing patient confidence in telehealth: Comparing across 17 medical specialties
title_fullStr Assessing patient confidence in telehealth: Comparing across 17 medical specialties
title_full_unstemmed Assessing patient confidence in telehealth: Comparing across 17 medical specialties
title_short Assessing patient confidence in telehealth: Comparing across 17 medical specialties
title_sort assessing patient confidence in telehealth comparing across 17 medical specialties
url https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251330486
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