Allison Camille O, Prucka Sandra K, Fitzgerald-Butt Sara M, Helm Benjamin M, Lah Melissa, Wetherill Leah, Baud Rebecca E
Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
Indiana University Health Physicians, University Hospital, 975 W. Walnut Street, Suite 130, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
J Community Genet. 2022 Aug;13(4):449-458. doi: 10.1007/s12687-022-00598-9. Epub 2022 Jul 7.
The COVID-19 pandemic required genetic counseling services, like most outpatient healthcare, to rapidly adopt a telemedicine model. Understanding the trends in patients' preferences for telemedicine relative to in-person service delivery both before and after the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic may aid in navigating how best to integrate telemedicine in a post-COVID-19 era. Our study explored how respondents' willingness to use, and preference for, telemedicine differed from before to after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents included patients, or their parent/guardian, seen in a general medical genetics clinic in 2018, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents were surveyed regarding their willingness to use telemedicine, preference for telemedicine relative to in-person care, and the influence of various factors. Among 69 pre-COVID-19 and 40 current-COVID-19 respondents, there was no shift in willingness to use, or preference for, telemedicine across these time periods. About half of respondents (50.6%) preferred telemedicine visits for the future. Of the 49.4% who preferred in-person visits, 79.1% were still willing to have visits via telemedicine. Predictors of these preferences included comfort with technology and prioritization of convenience of location. This study suggests that a hybrid care model, utilizing telemedicine and in-person service delivery, may be most appropriate to meet the needs of the diverse patients served. Concern for COVID-19 was not found to predict willingness or preference, suggesting that our findings may be generalizable in post-pandemic contexts.
与大多数门诊医疗服务一样，新冠疫情要求遗传咨询服务迅速采用远程医疗模式。了解在新冠疫情出现之前和之后，患者相对于面对面服务提供方式对远程医疗的偏好趋势，可能有助于确定如何在新冠疫情后时代最佳地整合远程医疗。我们的研究探讨了新冠疫情爆发前后，受访者使用远程医疗的意愿以及对远程医疗的偏好有何不同。受访者包括在2018年（新冠疫情之前）和2021年（新冠疫情期间）在一家普通医学遗传学诊所就诊的患者或其父母/监护人。就他们使用远程医疗的意愿、相对于面对面护理对远程医疗的偏好以及各种因素的影响对受访者进行了调查。在69名新冠疫情前受访者和40名新冠疫情期间受访者中，在这些时间段内使用远程医疗的意愿或对远程医疗的偏好没有变化。约一半的受访者（50.6%）未来更喜欢远程医疗就诊。在49.4%更喜欢面对面就诊的受访者中，79.1%仍然愿意通过远程医疗就诊。这些偏好的预测因素包括对技术的舒适度和对位置便利性的优先考虑。这项研究表明，采用远程医疗和面对面服务提供方式的混合护理模式可能最适合满足所服务的不同患者的需求。未发现对新冠疫情的担忧能预测意愿或偏好，这表明我们的研究结果可能适用于疫情后的情况。
