Patients’ Perceptions and Satisfaction Regarding Tele-consultations during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in the widespread implementation of tele-consultation. Tele-consultation provides remote communication and reduces the risk of virus transmission. However, patients’ perceptions and satisfaction are relevant to ensuring the quality of the service. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate patients’ perceptions and satisfaction regarding tele-consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Jeddah.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using an electronic questionnaire to assess patients’ perceptions and satisfaction regarding tele-consultations during May 2020. A total of 347 participants were included.

Results: More than one third of the sample were above 40 years, women (73.2%), and had a university education (70.8%). Patients’ perceptions of the effectiveness of tele-consultation ranged from 71.43% to 88.77% and their satisfaction level ranged between 59.40% and 83.96%. Older patients who had favorable outcomes from tele-consultation strongly agreed about the effectiveness of tele-consultation and were more satisfied. Patients with higher education levels who used the service only once were more satisfied with the experience. Moreover, those patients with greater age and educational levels and those who called for emergencies and to request medication refills were more likely to use tele-consultation in the future beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked about reasons for dissatisfaction, 70% of the participants were unhappy with the wait time for a tele-consultation.

Conclusions: Most patients were satisfied with the tele-consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a better understanding of patients’ perceptions and reasons for dissatisfaction are fundamental in the planning and implementation of tele-consultations in Saudi Arabia.