Patient Satisfaction With Traditional Chinese Medicine Telemedicine Service During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the satisfaction of patients with and without COVID-19 when using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) telemedicine during the pandemic in Hong Kong.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study of 122 COVID-19 patients and 90 non-COVID-19 patients who utilized a TCM telemedicine service provided by The Chinese University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Specialty Clinic cum Clinical Teaching and Research Centre during March to April 2022. A Telemedicine Satisfaction Questionnaire, consisting of factors of Information Exchange and Patient Comfort, was administered via an online survey after video consultations. Patients' satisfaction on these aspects of satisfaction was assessed. Subgroup and linear regression analyses were conducted to explore patient characteristics associated with satisfaction with telemedicine.

RESULTS

Overall patient satisfaction with Information Exchange was good (28.00 [4.00] out of 35), but rating on Patient Comfort was mediocre (21.00 [5.00] out of 35), with a clear preference for face-to-face consultation. Compared to non-COVID-19 patients, the total score for Information Exchange was slightly lower amongst those consulted for COVID-19, as a majority of them are new patients without a per-existing relationship with the clinician. Satisfaction tended to be higher among patients who were younger, female, better-educated, employed, and had complete COVID-19 vaccinations.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite being fairly satisfied with the TCM telemedicine service, both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients expressed a preference for face-to-face consultation. While improving clinician-patient interaction during video consultation is expected to improve communication quality, it is expected that demand for face-to-face TCM services will rebound in the post-COVID era.