Satisfaction with telehealth care during the COVID-19 pandemic in outpatients

Abstract

Introduction: Telecommunications have made it possible to introduce other forms of health care. The pandemic helped speed up its implementation. User satisfaction is an indicator of service quality. Objective: To explore the degree of satisfaction with the care received through telehealth during the pandemic in an outpatient setting in Bogotá, Colombia. Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out in two outpatient primary care institutions, during May and August 2021. After the care, a telephone survey was applied, obtaining sociodemographic, clinical and satisfaction perception information. It was analyzed through descriptive statistics, establishing associations between them. Results: A total of 346 users participated, average age 47 years, 69.9 % women;43.9 % with higher education. 82.4 % reported a high level of satisfaction with telehealth. The perception regarding the understanding of their reason for consultation, trust generated, friendliness, clarity in the indications and respect for privacy by the professional, was high (8.6/10). People with the greatest satisfaction stated that telehealth could be used in the post-pandemic (OR: 12.05; 95 % CI: 4.77 – 30.43). Discussion: Users were very satisfied with the care received through telehealth during the pandemic, like the findings of other authors, with a high receptivity to the incorporation of this modality to the regular care model. Conclusions: the high level of satisfaction and acceptance of telehealth by users ratifies the need to understand and enhance its role as a complement to comprehensive health care models.