沙特阿拉伯王国在 COVID-19 大流行前后对 937 电话健康服务的公众知晓度和利用情况：纵向研究。

Public Awareness and Utilization of 937-Telephone Health Services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Study.

机构信息

Health Information Management and Technology Department, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Risk Management Unit, Directorate of Quality and Safety, King Fahah Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

出版信息

J Med Internet Res. 2021 Jul 30;23(7):e27618. doi: 10.2196/27618.

DOI:10.2196/27618

PMID:34156963

原文链接:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8330632/

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Telehealth plays a key role in supporting health care systems and influencing methods of health care delivery. Government laws and medical operating protocols have been largely modified to provide remote care to reduce social contact and ensure a safer patient environment. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the Ministry of Health (MOH) introduced several forms of telemedicine as alternatives to face-to-face consultations in clinical settings.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the awareness and utilization of telehealth services before and during the COVID-19 outbreak in the KSA.

METHODS

In this longitudinal study, we compared the awareness and utilization of 937-telephone health services (ie, a toll-free telephone service to provide medical and administrative health care services at any time for the population) before and during the COVID-19 outbreak in the KSA. Using a convenience sampling technique, a validated web-based questionnaire was distributed on social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp) at 2 timepoints: before (February 2019) and during (May 2020) the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS

The study sample comprised a total of 1961 participants who completed the questionnaire before (n=1303, 66%) and during (n=658, 33%) the COVID-19 pandemic. Both awareness (before=46% vs during=78%) and utilization (before=42% vs during=48%) of the 937-telephone health services increased significantly during the pandemic (P<.001). No significant association of the awareness or utilization of 937-telephone health services before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was found with respect to the participants' age, education level, having children, or having any chronic disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate significant increases in the awareness and utilization of 937-telephone health services during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting an increase in public acceptance of the service and providing evidence of an equitable telemedicine service for the population. Further studies are needed to provide a deeper understanding of the barriers and facilitators to the use of 937-telephone health services for different groups of the population.

摘要

背景

远程医疗在支持医疗保健系统和影响医疗保健提供方式方面发挥着关键作用。政府法律和医疗操作规范已在很大程度上进行了修改，以提供远程护理，减少社会接触，确保患者环境更安全。在沙特阿拉伯王国（KSA），卫生部（MOH）引入了多种形式的远程医疗，作为临床环境中面对面咨询的替代方案。

目的

本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯在 COVID-19 爆发前后远程医疗服务的知晓率和利用率。

方法

在这项纵向研究中，我们比较了在沙特阿拉伯 COVID-19 爆发前后 937 电话健康服务（即免费电话服务，随时为民众提供医疗和行政保健服务）的知晓率和利用率。使用便利抽样技术，在两个时间点（2019 年 2 月和 2020 年 5 月）通过社交媒体平台（Facebook、Twitter 和 WhatsApp）分发了经过验证的在线问卷。

结果

研究样本共包括 1961 名参与者，他们在 COVID-19 大流行前后（n=1303，66%）完成了问卷。937 电话健康服务的知晓率（前=46%，后=78%）和利用率（前=42%，后=48%）均显著增加（P<.001）。在 COVID-19 大流行前后，937 电话健康服务的知晓率或利用率与参与者的年龄、教育水平、子女情况或任何慢性疾病均无显著关联。