Acceptance of virtual consultations among older adults and caregivers in Malaysia: a pilot study during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Autor:	Tan YR; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Tan MP; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Khor MM; Department of Psychology, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Sunway, Malaysia., Hoh HB; TELEME Technologies Healthcare App, Malaysia., Saedon N; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Hasmukharay K; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Tan KM; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Chin AV; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Kamaruzzaman SB; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Ong T; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Davey G; School of Arts & Sciences, Webster University, Thailand Campus, USA., Khor HM; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Postgraduate medicine [Postgrad Med] 2022 Mar; Vol. 134 (2), pp. 224-229. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Jan 06.
DOI:	10.1080/00325481.2021.2004792
Abstrakt:	Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the delivery of healthcare to vulnerable older adults, prompting the expansion of telemedicine usage. This study surveyed the acceptance of virtual medical consultations among older adults and caregivers within geriatric outpatient services in a tertiary hospital during the pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among caregivers and patients attending geriatric outpatient services in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The survey measured the availability of equipment for virtual consultations, prior knowledge and experience of telemedicine, and willingness to consult geriatricians through virtual technology, using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) scale. Results: A total of 197 caregivers and 42 older patients with a mean age of 54.28 (±13.22) and 75.62 (±7.32) years, respectively, completed the survey. One hundred and fifty-six (79.2%) of the caregivers were adult children accompanying patients. The mean UTAUT score was 65.97 (±13.71) out of 90, with 66.64 (±13.25) for caregivers and 62.79 (±15.44) for older adults, suggesting a high acceptance of adopting virtual consultations in lieu of face-to-face care. The independent predictors of acceptance of virtual consultation were : possession of an electronic device capable of video-communication, living with someone, living in a care home, weekly online banking usage, and perceived familiarity with virtual platforms. Conclusion: Caregivers and patients indicated a high level of acceptance of virtual medical consultations, which is likely facilitated by caregivers such as adult children or spouses at home or staff in care homes. To minimize the transmission of COVID-19 in a highly vulnerable group, virtual consultations are an acceptable alternative to face-to-face consultations for older people and their caregivers in our setting.
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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