Patient perspectives of telehealth for fertility care: a national survey

Autor: Jeanelle Sheeder, Christina Julia Yannetsos, Ivy L. Lersten, Angela J. Fought, Cassandra Roeca
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics.
ISSN: 1573-7330
1058-0468
Popis: Objective: Telehealth is used in various healthcare settings with patient satisfaction and reduced patient cost. [1, 2] However, fertility care is a uniquely personal journey and patient attitudes towards telehealth are relatively unknown. We evaluated attitudes of fertility patients across the United States towards telehealth using a validated telehealth satisfaction and usefulness questionnaire. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey study. An anonymous, web-based survey was distributed to national infertility groups between Feb-April 2021.The survey gathered demographic information and included the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ), which assesses aspects of telehealth usability with a 7-point Likert scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree). We solicited general comments regarding telehealth for fertility care. The primary outcome was overall satisfaction using telehealth. We computed descriptive statistics to compare satisfied vs unsatisfied participants. Results: 104 respondents initiated and 74 completed the survey. Participants represented 24 different states and all regions of the United States. Most respondents were white (81.1%) with a median age of 35 years old. Most participants (80%) were satisfied using telehealth. Given low frequency of patient dissatisfaction, we were unable to perform statistical tests to compare demographic differences between satisfied and unsatisfied participants. Most (86.5%) respondents would use telehealth again. When given an option, 63.5% prefer in person for new patient visits. For follow up visits, 47.3% prefer telehealth and 27% had no preference. Only 25.7% preferred a follow up visit in person. Conclusions: Telehealth can improve access to care with high rates of patient satisfaction. Most fertility patients still prefer new visits be conducted in person. Impact Statement: Our findings suggest fertility clinics should continue to offer telehealth visits even after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. References: 1. Alex Zhu, D., et al., TELEHEALTH FOR MALE-INFERTILITY IS FEASIBLE AND SAVES PATIENTS’ TIME AND MONEY. ASRM 2020 2. Tenforde, A.S., et al., Outpatient Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy Synchronous Telemedicine: A Survey Study of Patient Satisfaction with Virtual Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Am J Phys Med Rehabil, 2020.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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