Table 1.
Questionnaire variables.
| Total | Willing to continue telemedicine | Unwilling to continue telemedicine | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 89 (%) | n = 61 (%) | n = 28 (%) | ||
| <Participant profile> | ||||
| Age | 0.04* | |||
| 25–34 | 9 (10.1) | 6 (9.8) | 3 (10.7) | |
| 35–44 | 41 (46.1) | 32 (52.5) | 9 (32.1) | |
| 45–54 | 26 (29.2) | 19 (31.1) | 7 (25.0) | |
| 55–64 | 12 (13.5) | 4 (6.6) | 8 (28.6) | |
| 65–74 | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
| 75–84 | 1 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (3.6) | |
| Sex: Male | 72 (80.9) | 47 (77.0) | 25 (89.3) | 0.25 † |
| Specialty | ||||
| Pediatrician | 29 (32.6) | 23 (37.7) | 6 (21.4) | 0.81 ‡,¶ |
| Neurologist | 16 (18.0) | 13 (21.3) | 3 (10.7) | >0.99 †,¶ |
| Neurosurgeon | 19 (21.3) | 15 (24.6) | 4 (14.3) | >0.99 †,¶ |
| Psychiatrist | 25 (28.1) | 10 (16.4) | 15 (53.6) | 0.003‡,¶ |
| Number of risk factors of COVID-19 infection in the participant | ||||
| 0/1/2/3 or more | 55 (61.8)/25 (28.1)/8 (9.0)/1 (1.1) | 43 (70.5)/16 (26.2)/2 (3.3)/0 (0.0) | 12 (42.9)/9 (32.1)/6 (21.4)/1 (3.6) | 0.004* |
| Number of risk factors of COVID-19 infection in the cohabitants | ||||
| 0/1/2/3/4 or more | 77 (86.5)/8 (9.0)/2 (2.2)/1 (1.1)/1 (1.1) | 58 (95.1)/2 (3.3)/0 (0.0)/0 (0.0)/1 (1.6) | 19 (67.9)/6 (21.4)/2 (7.1)/1 (3.6)/ 0 (0.0) | 0.001* |
| COVID-19 vaccination: At least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine | 23 (25.8) | 14 (23.0) | 9 (32.1) | 0.51 ‡ |
| Facility | ||||
| Hospital | 84 (94.4) | 60 (98.4) | 24 (85.7) | 0.03† |
| COVID-19 infection epidemic area | 65 (73.0) | 40 (65.6) | 25 (89.3) | 0.02† |
| MHLW regulations for telemedicine | ||||
| Participants considered the regulations inappropriate | 49 (55.1) | 33 (54.1) | 16 (57.1) | 0.97 ‡ |
| <Characteristics of the patients> | ||||
| Baseline characteristics of PWE treated by telemedicine | ||||
| Seizures at least once a month | 63 (70.8) | 47 (77.0) | 16 (57.1) | 0.10 ‡ |
| Two or more antiepileptic drugs | 79 (88.8) | 55 (90.2) | 24 (85.7) | 0.72 † |
| History of side effects due to antiepileptic drugs | 69 (77.5) | 49 (80.3) | 20 (71.4) | 0.51 ‡ |
| In-person consultation time of 31 min or more | 20 (22.5) | 13 (21.3) | 7 (25.0) | 0.91 ‡ |
| Changes in antiepileptic drugs | ||||
| Decrease/No change/Increase $ | 55 (61.8)/33 (37.1)/1 (1.1) | 35 (57.4)/25 (41.0)/1 (1.6) | 20 (71.4)/8 (28.6)/0 (0.0) | 0.20 * |
| Side effects of antiepileptic drugs | ||||
| Decrease/No change/Increase $ | 17 (19.1)/71 (79.8)/ 1 (1.1) | 14 (23.0)/46 (75.4)/1 (1.6) | 3 (10.7)/25 (89.3)/0 (0.0) | 0.25 * |
| Worsening of seizure control | ||||
| Decrease/No change/Increase $ | 5 (5.6)/81 (91.0)/3 (3.4) | 4 (6.6)/54 (88.5)/3 (4.9) | 1 (3.6)/27 (96.4)/0 (0.0) | 0.80 * |
| Improvements in seizure control | ||||
| Decrease/No change/Increase $ | 5 (5.6)/82 (92.1)/2 (2.2) | 4 (6.6)/55 (90.2)/2 (3.3) | 1 (3.6)/27 (96.4)/0 (0.0) | 0.99 * |
| <Contents and environmental factors of telemedicine> | ||||
| Methods and contents of telemedicine | ||||
| Videotelephony | 12 (13.5) | 8 (13.1) | 4 (14.3) | >0.99 † |
| Only follow-up or prescription visits without physical examination | 20 (22.5) | 12 (19.7) | 8 (28.6) | 0.51 ‡ |
| Telemedicine consultation time per a patient | ||||
| Decrease/No change/Increase $ | 59 (66.3)/19 (21.3)/11 (12.4) | 46 (75.4)/11 (18.0)/4 (6.6) | 13 (46.4)/8 (28.6)/7 (25.0) | 0.004* |
| Problems and safety in telemedicine | ||||
| Telemedicine failure due to technical problems | 28 (31.5) | 20 (32.8) | 8 (28.6) | 0.88 ‡ |
| Telemedicine problems due to lack of IT literacy among patients | 27 (30.3) | 18 (29.5) | 9 (32.1) | >0.99 ‡ |
| Concerns about privacy protection and safety in telemedicine | 69 (77.5) | 49 (80.3) | 20 (71.4) | 0.51 ‡ |
| Support of hospitals and clinics for telemedicine | ||||
| Creation of a flow chart for telemedicine | 72 (80.9) | 52 (85.2) | 20 (71.4) | 0.21 ‡ |
| Provision of applications and equipment for telemedicine | 28 (31.5) | 19 (31.1) | 9 (32.1) | >0.99 ‡ |
| Training opportunities for telemedicine | 13 (14.6) | 10 (16.4) | 3 (10.7) | 0.75 † |
| Support department for telemedicine | 19 (21.3) | 14 (23.0) | 5 (17.9) | 0.78 † |
| Workload due to telemedicine | ||||
| Decrease/No change/Increase | 34 (38.2)/26 (29.2)/29 (32.6) | 32 (52.5)/17 (27.9)/12 (19.7) | 2 (7.1)/9 (32.1)/17 (60.7) | <0.001* |
| Financial cost to the hospital/clinic due to telemedicine | ||||
| Decrease/No change/Increase | 17 (19.1)/58 (65.1)/14 (15.7) | 15 (24.6)/38 (62.3)/8 (13.1) | 2 (7.1)/20 (71.4)/6 (21.4) | 0.06 * |
COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019. MHLW: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. PWE: Patients with epilepsy. IT: Information technology.
$
Telemedicine compared to in-person visits.
*
Mann–Whiney U test.
†
Fisher exact test.
‡
Chi-squared test.
¶
Bonferroni correction.