Level Of Satisfaction Among Adult Patients on Online Medical Consultation Amidst Pandemic

Abstract

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare system was greatly affected. Online Medical Consultation (OMC) was introduced as an alternative to traditional face-to-face healthcare services to reduce viral exposure for both patients and healthcare practitioners. However, in the Philippines, telemedicine services such as OMC are still a young modality. Thus, determining patient satisfaction is critical for the enhancement of OMC to be a viable mode of service delivery. This study aimed to determine the level of satisfaction with online medical consultations of adult patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.  A descriptive non-probability convenience sampling was employed in this study. On a 4-point Likert scale, respondents were asked to rate their degree of satisfaction based on formulated statements about communication quality, system design, convenience, and perceived effectiveness. A statistical tool Pearson’s Chi square test, patient satisfaction on OMC was observed to be associated with the level of educational attainment. Those who have completed their tertiary education are said to be significantly associated (p = 0.003) with OMC patient satisfaction. This shows that people with higher education have a significant causal effect on their health, particularly in terms of their understanding of the doctor's language, and technology literacy, and are more welcoming to the idea of OMC.