| Abstract | OBJECTIVE: To review research into patient satisfaction with teleconsultation,
specifically clinical consultations between healthcare providers and patients
involving real time interactive video. DESIGN: Systematic review of
telemedicine satisfaction studies. Electronic databases searched include Medline,
Embase, Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts and
Humanities Citation Index, and the TIE (Telemedicine Information Exchange)
database. Subjects: Studies conducted worldwide and published between 1966
and 1998. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Quality of evidence about patient
satisfaction. RESULTS: 32 studies were identified. Study methods used were
simple survey instruments (26 studies), exact methods not specified (5), and
qualitative methods (1). Study designs were randomised controlled trial (1 trial);
random patient selection (2); case-control (1); and selection criteria not specified
or participants represented consecutive referrals, convenience samples, or
volunteers (28). Sample sizes were 100 (7), and
not specified (1). All studies reported good levels of patient satisfaction.
Qualitative analysis revealed methodological problems with all the published
work. Even so, important issues were highlighted that merit further investigation.
There is a paucity of data examining patients' perceptions or the effects of this
mode of healthcare delivery on the interaction between providers and clients.
CONCLUSIONS: Methodological deficiencies (low sample sizes, context, and
study designs) of the published research limit the generalisability of the findings.
The studies suggest that teleconsultation is acceptable to patients in a variety of
circumstances, but issues relating to patient satisfaction require further
exploration from the perspective of both clients and providers. |