Relationship of the Overall Perception of Middle-aged Patients from a Secondary Hospital in Tuguegarao, Cagayan and their Intention of Use towards Telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

As a result of the breakout of the novel coronavirus, people have turned to the use of Telemedicine. Specifically, middle-aged people are affected due to their chronic conditions and the need for their daily check-ups. However, the shift to Telemedicine has its advantages and disadvantages, especially in a developing country like the Philippines. Thus, the perceptions of patients may now vary towards the use and service of Telemedicine. This study aims to determine whether the overall perception of middle-aged patients affects their intention of use towards Telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. A descriptive quantitative approach was utilized in this study. Seventy-six middle-aged patients from a Secondary Hospital in Tuguegarao, Cagayan, are to participate in the study. Patients should be at least 40-59 years of age and not necessarily engaged or have engaged in Telemedicine before. Respondents are asked to provide information, including name, age, and educational attainment. In addition, respondents are also asked to rank statements about efficiency, reliability, financial cost, interaction, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness as part of a holistic understanding of the respondents' overall perception. The data collection lasted for one month, from April 29 until May 29, through online and physical means. The statistical tools that were used to analyze the data gathered were Descriptive statistics and Pearson Correlation. Educational attainment was not a good indicator of the overall perception of the respondents. Respondents agreed that Telemedicine is efficient, reliable, cost-friendly, has a good doctor-patient relationship, is easy to use, and is useful, indicating that each of the predetermined variables influences the respondents' overall perception, which affects their intention of using Telemedicine. The overall perception is directly correlated with the intention of use as well. The intention of use of middle-aged patients on Telemedicine is greatly affected by the overall perception. These were found to be weakly related to the educational status of the patient. However, it should be noted that the overall perception of usage may differ once patients avail of telemedicine services as most research respondents have not yet experienced consultations through this method. Nevertheless, findings show that the respondents are open to adapt to this method of consultation. Thus, throughout the development of the pandemic and the continuous need for new ways for physicians to interact with their patients, Telemedicine could provide a useful method for consultation and help clinicians attend to the needs of their patients without risking possible exposure in light of social distancing measures.