COVID-19 Lockdown Period: Perception of Doctors regarding Telemedicine Use for General Practice
Introduction: During this COVID-19 lockdown period, telemedicine is widely being used by doctors for continuing clinical care of patients so that physical distancing can be maintained and the risk of contracting the virus can be avoided. Aim: To assess perception of doctors regarding quality of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.jcdr.net/articles/PDF/14516/46549_CE[Ra1]_F[SK]_PF1(Ash_KM)_PFA(Ash_KM)_PN(KM).pdf |
| _version_ | 1819063401126559744 |
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| author | Sumitha Arumugam Dhanasekaran Ramados Parthiban Brindhadev Subbalakshmi Easwaran Shanthi Santhosh Kumari |
| author_facet | Sumitha Arumugam Dhanasekaran Ramados Parthiban Brindhadev Subbalakshmi Easwaran Shanthi Santhosh Kumari |
| author_sort | Sumitha Arumugam |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: During this COVID-19 lockdown period,
telemedicine is widely being used by doctors for continuing
clinical care of patients so that physical distancing can be
maintained and the risk of contracting the virus can be avoided.
Aim: To assess perception of doctors regarding quality of
healthcare by telemedicine as compared to traditional face
to face consultation and, to assess the opinion of doctors on
whether telemedicine could be an option for future practice
after lockdown period.
Materials and Methods: A questionnaire based cross-sectional
study was conducted in which perception of doctors regarding
their telemedicine usage for general practice during this lockdown
period has been evaluated. The study was done during April to
June 2020 among doctors working in a medical college attached
to a tertiary care hospital in Chennai and using telemedicine for
their practice during COVID-19 lockdown period. After collection
of responses, data obtained were entered in excel sheet and
analysed using SPSS version 23.0. Chi-square test was used to
assess the association between different variables associated
with perception regarding telemedicine usage for general practice.
A p-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
Results: Easy access to healthcare services can be done with
telemedicine practice according to 73.7% of doctors. Nearly
60.6% of doctors like to continue telemedicine for their practice
even after COVID lockdown period.
Conclusion: Telemedicine has helped doctors for continuing
patient care during COVID-19 pandemic, but the quality
of care delivered by telemedicine consultation was not
good as compared to the quality of traditional healthcare.
Telemedicine could be an option for future practice of doctors
if awareness regarding proper usage of telemedicine is created
among patients and if guidelines regarding legal concerns in
telemedicine are properly framed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:14:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-28c4b6d70a3d434db7fc23451fd17efa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2249-782X 0973-709X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:14:05Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-28c4b6d70a3d434db7fc23451fd17efa2022-12-21T18:59:13ZengJCDR Research and Publications Private LimitedJournal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research2249-782X0973-709X2021-02-01152FC09FC1210.7860/JCDR/2021/46549.14516COVID-19 Lockdown Period: Perception of Doctors regarding Telemedicine Use for General PracticeSumitha Arumugam0Dhanasekaran Ramados1Parthiban Brindhadev2Subbalakshmi Easwaran3Shanthi Santhosh Kumari4Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, ACS Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Madras Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, IndiaHead, Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering, Vels University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, ACS medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, ACS Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, IndiaIntroduction: During this COVID-19 lockdown period, telemedicine is widely being used by doctors for continuing clinical care of patients so that physical distancing can be maintained and the risk of contracting the virus can be avoided. Aim: To assess perception of doctors regarding quality of healthcare by telemedicine as compared to traditional face to face consultation and, to assess the opinion of doctors on whether telemedicine could be an option for future practice after lockdown period. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted in which perception of doctors regarding their telemedicine usage for general practice during this lockdown period has been evaluated. The study was done during April to June 2020 among doctors working in a medical college attached to a tertiary care hospital in Chennai and using telemedicine for their practice during COVID-19 lockdown period. After collection of responses, data obtained were entered in excel sheet and analysed using SPSS version 23.0. Chi-square test was used to assess the association between different variables associated with perception regarding telemedicine usage for general practice. A p-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Easy access to healthcare services can be done with telemedicine practice according to 73.7% of doctors. Nearly 60.6% of doctors like to continue telemedicine for their practice even after COVID lockdown period. Conclusion: Telemedicine has helped doctors for continuing patient care during COVID-19 pandemic, but the quality of care delivered by telemedicine consultation was not good as compared to the quality of traditional healthcare. Telemedicine could be an option for future practice of doctors if awareness regarding proper usage of telemedicine is created among patients and if guidelines regarding legal concerns in telemedicine are properly framed.https://www.jcdr.net/articles/PDF/14516/46549_CE[Ra1]_F[SK]_PF1(Ash_KM)_PFA(Ash_KM)_PN(KM).pdfcoronavirusgoogle formpandemicquestionnairevirtual consultation |
| spellingShingle | Sumitha Arumugam Dhanasekaran Ramados Parthiban Brindhadev Subbalakshmi Easwaran Shanthi Santhosh Kumari COVID-19 Lockdown Period: Perception of Doctors regarding Telemedicine Use for General Practice Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research coronavirus google form pandemic questionnaire virtual consultation |
| title | COVID-19 Lockdown Period: Perception of Doctors regarding Telemedicine Use for General Practice |
| title_full | COVID-19 Lockdown Period: Perception of Doctors regarding Telemedicine Use for General Practice |
| title_fullStr | COVID-19 Lockdown Period: Perception of Doctors regarding Telemedicine Use for General Practice |
| title_full_unstemmed | COVID-19 Lockdown Period: Perception of Doctors regarding Telemedicine Use for General Practice |
| title_short | COVID-19 Lockdown Period: Perception of Doctors regarding Telemedicine Use for General Practice |
| title_sort | covid 19 lockdown period perception of doctors regarding telemedicine use for general practice |
| topic | coronavirus google form pandemic questionnaire virtual consultation |
| url | https://www.jcdr.net/articles/PDF/14516/46549_CE[Ra1]_F[SK]_PF1(Ash_KM)_PFA(Ash_KM)_PN(KM).pdf |
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