Physicians’ Perspective of Telemedicine Regulating Guidelines and Ethical Aspects: A Saudi Experience

Author:

El Kheir Dalia Yahia M.1ORCID,Alnufaili Sara S.2ORCID,Alsaffar Raghad M.1ORCID,Assad Majd A.1ORCID,Alkhalifah Zahra Z.1ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

2. Department of Neurosurgery, King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background and Objective. The rapid emergence and evolution of digital technology have greatly improved the quality and accessibility of healthcare services worldwide. Nonetheless, the literature is scarce regarding the ethical and legal aspects of telemedicine and social media (SM) use in healthcare. Thus, this paper examines physicians’ perceptions about the use of telemedicine in patient care, their awareness of guidelines for health-related use of telemedicine, and their knowledge, attitude, and practice of the ethical and legal regulations governing the use of telemedicine in the healthcare context. Methods. This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted among physicians working at the College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), and its affiliated academic tertiary hospital, King Fahad Hospital of the University (KFHU), Eastern province-KSA. Data were collected between August 2019 and March 2020 via a structured, pretested, self-administered questionnaire distributed to 220 eligible physicians at KFHU. A final sample of 101 physicians completed our survey. Collected data was coded and analysed using SPSS, and the results presented as frequencies, percentages, and summary statistics. Results. Among our respondents, 62 (61.4%) were males, 46 (45.5%) were in the age group of 35 to 44 years, and 62 (61.3%) were Saudi. Two-thirds of physicians (58 (57.4%)) use smart devices in healthcare delivery, and 51 (50.5%) are satisfied with this use. A minority (21 (20.8%)) knew about telemedicine guidelines, 8 (7.9%) had encountered legal issues related to telemedicine use, and 52 (51.5%) were doubtful about patients’ readiness for virtual care. Regarding physicians’ awareness of the ethical aspects regulating the use of social media and medical apps in patient care, only 44 (45.3%) were aware of the proper reporting system if they found accounts sharing unreliable information. Nevertheless, the majority (91 (92.9%)) agreed it is essential for healthcare providers to report such accounts. Concerning physicians’ awareness of the rules and regulations of online self-promotion, the majority of our respondents were unsure or unaware of such regulations (46 (45.6%) and 18 (17.8%)), respectively. Nonetheless, 67 (66.3%) of the physicians would not pay SM influencers to advertise for them. Conclusion. Two-thirds of our physicians use smart devices in healthcare delivery, with 1 in 13 having encountered related legal issues. Nonetheless, only a minority was aware of telemedicine use regulating guidelines, including physicians’ online self-promotion regulations. These results highlight the necessity of targeted physicians’ training on telemedicine use related guidelines, thereby ensuring the safety of both patients and healthcare professionals and the optimum utilization of online health-related interactions.

Publisher

Hindawi Limited

Subject

Health Information Management,Computer Networks and Communications,Health Informatics,Medicine (miscellaneous)

Cited by 6 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3