Department of Public Health, North South University, Dhaka 1229, Bangladesh.
Public Health Professional Development Society (PPDS), Dhaka 1215, Bangladesh.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 2;19(7):4250. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19074250.
Chronic diseases, including non-communicable diseases (NCDs), have arisen as a severe threat to health and socio-economic growth. Telemedicine can provide both the highest level of patient satisfaction and the lowest risk of infection during a pandemic. The factors associated with its usage and patient adherence are not visible in Bangladesh's resource-constrained settings. Therefore, this study aimed to identify perceptions about telemedicine among populations with chronic diseases amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A closed-ended self-reported questionnaire was created, and the questionnaire was written, reviewed, and finalized by a public health investigator, a psychiatrist, and an epidemiologist. The data for this study were collected from individuals using simple random sampling and snowball sampling techniques. Ethics approval was granted, and written/verbal consent was taken before interviews. Most of the participants showed a positive attitude towards telemedicine. People aged 35-54 years old and a higher level of education were less frequently associated with willingness to receive telemedicine services for current chronic disease (WRTCCD) than their counterparts. People living in urban areas and lower-income participants were more strongly associated with WRTCCD. Additionally, people who did not lose their earnings due to the pandemic were less strongly associated with WRTCCD. However, the main strength of this research is that it is a broad exploration of patient interest in several general forms of telehealth. In Bangladesh, there are many opportunities for telemedicine to be integrated into the existing healthcare system, if appropriate training and education are provided for healthcare professionals.
慢性病，包括非传染性疾病（NCDs），已经成为对健康和社会经济增长的严重威胁。远程医疗在大流行期间既能提供最高水平的患者满意度，又能将感染风险降到最低。在孟加拉国资源有限的环境下，其使用和患者依从性的相关因素是不可见的。因此，本研究旨在探讨在 COVID-19 大流行期间，慢性病患者对远程医疗的看法。我们创建了一份封闭式自我报告问卷，该问卷由一名公共卫生调查员、一名精神科医生和一名流行病学家编写、审查和定稿。本研究的数据是通过简单随机抽样和雪球抽样技术从个人中收集的。本研究获得了伦理批准，并在访谈前获得了书面/口头同意。大多数参与者对远程医疗持积极态度。与同龄人相比，年龄在 35-54 岁之间和教育程度较高的人不太愿意接受远程医疗服务来治疗当前的慢性疾病。居住在城市地区和低收入的参与者与 WRTCCD 的关联性更强。此外，由于疫情没有失业的人不太愿意接受远程医疗服务。然而，这项研究的主要优势在于，它广泛探讨了患者对几种远程医疗的兴趣。在孟加拉国，如果为医疗保健专业人员提供适当的培训和教育，远程医疗有很多机会融入现有的医疗保健系统。
