Reported time savings and telephone consultation use in polish primary care: a national random sample survey.

INTRODUCTION

Teleconsultations may reduce travel and time burdens in post-pandemic primary care, but evidence on whether reported time savings are associated with their usage remains limited in Central Europe.

METHODS

A cross-sectional computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) survey using a random sampling design was conducted among adults in Poland from November 2025 to January 2026 (N = 1,004). Logistic regression models examined telephone consultation use among 798 respondents who either had contacted primary care or needed to do so in the previous 12 months. The complete-case sample sizes were 789 in Models 1-4 and 736 in Models 5-6.

RESULTS

Reported time savings were not significantly associated with use in Models 1-4. In Model 5, which simultaneously included residence-size controls and voivodeship (NUTS 2 region) indicators and used the smaller complete-case sample, the adjusted odds ratios were as follows: 3.03 for less than 1 h, 3.91 for 1-2 h, and 4.41 for 3 h or more (all p < 0.01). The predicted probabilities ranged from 26.3% for no savings to 53.6% for 3 h or more. Households with average or poor financial situations were associated with lower odds of teleconsultation use compared to those in a very good financial situation.

CONCLUSION

In fully adjusted models including place-of-residence controls and voivodeship fixed effects, perceived time savings were independently associated with higher odds of teleconsultation use in primary care in Poland. However, this association varied depending on model specifications. Therefore, policy efforts should address regional differences in digital and informational barriers contributing to inequalities in utilization.