Table 5.
Factors affecting participants’ level of acceptance of teleclinic
| Characteristic | Acceptance | No acceptance | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | 0.093 | ||
| Female | 1,085 (92.9%) | 311 (90.1%) | |
| Male | 83 (7.1%) | 34 (9.9%) | |
| Nationality | 0.913 | ||
| Saudi | 1,122 (96.1%) | 330 (95.9%) | |
| Non-Saudi | 46 (3.9%) | 14 (4.1%) | |
| Education | 0.656 | ||
| School | 296 (25.4%) | 96 (27.8%) | |
| University | 780 (66.9%) | 224 (64.9%) | |
| Higher education | 90 (7.7%) | 25 (7.2%) | |
| Income | 0.514 | ||
| Enough | 703 (60.2%) | 207 (59.8%) | |
| Enough and save | 317 (27.1%) | 88 (25.4%) | |
| Not enough | 69 (5.9%) | 28 (8.1%) | |
| Not enough and in-dept | 79 (6.8%) | 23 (6.6%) | |
| Marital status | 0.365 | ||
| Married | 787 (67.4%) | 234 (67.4%) | |
| Single | 309 (26.5%) | 85 (24.5%) | |
| Widow/divorced | 72 (6.1%) | 28 (8.1%) | |
| How many times did you/your relatives used teleclinic | 0.011 | ||
| 0 | 347 (29.7%) | 130 (37.6%) | |
| 1 | 307 (26.3%) | 91 (26.3%) | |
| More than 1 | 513 (44.0%) | 125 (36.1%) | |
| What method was used in your/your relatives teleclinic appointment | 0.053 | ||
| Telephone | 726 (62.2%) | 192 (55.3%) | |
| Video conference | 29 (2.5%) | 9 (2.6%) | |
| Both | 82 (7.0%) | 21 (6.1%) | |
| For what reason did you/your relatives use teleclinic | 0.048 | ||
| New complaint | 331 (28.4%) | 79 (22.8%) | |
| Follow-up | 139 (11.9%) | 52 (15.0%) | |
| Emergency situation | 127 (10.9%) | 28 (8.1%) | |
| Refill medication | 148 (12.7%) | 47 (13.5%) | |
| COVID-19–related medical issues | 100 (8.6%) | 25 (7.2%) | |
| What was the outcome or treatment from the teleclinic consultation | 0.036 | ||
| Reassurance and self-management | 393 (33.7%) | 100 (28.9%) | |
| Prescribed drugs | 346 (29.6%) | 91 (26.3%) | |
| Appointment | 83 (7.1%) | 34 (9.8%) | |
| Send ambulance | 24 (2.1%) | 4 (1.2%) | |
| In your opinion what are the disadvantages of teleclinic | |||
| Poor network | 229 (19.6%) | 49 (14.1%) | 0.020 |
| Inadequate assessment/treatment | 409 (35.0%) | 120 (34.6%) | 0.881 |
| Patient cannot explain his complaint | 518 (44.3%) | 180 (51.9%) | 0.014 |
| Patient cannot feel it like real doctor | 225 (19.3%) | 107 (30.8%) | <0.001 |
| In your opinion what are the advantages of teleclinic | |||
| Shorter wait/no wait | 476 (40.8%) | 130 (37.5%) | 0.272 |
| Less chance of catching illness | 416 (35.6%) | 101 (29.1%) | 0.025 |
| Low cost | 288 (24.7%) | 80 (23.1%) | 0.541 |
| Convenience | 730 (62.5%) | 164 (47.3%) | <0.001 |
| Would you recommend teleclinic to someone else | <0.001 | ||
| Definitely | 555 (47.7%) | 77 (22.2%) | |
| Probably | 475 (40.8%) | 127 (36.6%) | |
| Not sure | 133 (11.4%) | 143 (41.2%) |