Almalki Ziyad S, Imam Mohammad T, Abou Chahin Nada F, ALSammak Naheda S, Entabli Shahad M, Alhammad Shatha K, Alanazi Ghuyudh F, Kharsa Rama A, Alonazi Layla A, Mandil Rasha A, Albassam Ahmed A, Alshehri Ahmed M, Alahmari Abdullah K, Alem Ghada M, Alalwan Abdullah A, Alamer Ahmad
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.
Collage of Pharmacy, Almaarefa University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
J Multidiscip Healthc. 2023 Dec 4;16:3789-3798. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S433653. eCollection 2023.
This study investigated the access to and disparities in telemedicine use among patients with chronic conditions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
A cross-sectional study of randomly selected primary healthcare centers was conducted to ensure that each of the 17 municipalities in Riyadh were represented. Three hundred and forty-two participants who completed the questionnaire were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. The relationship between demographic and socioeconomic factors and telemedicine utilization was evaluated using the chi-square test and multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression model.
Among the 342 participants, the study revealed that 25.73% of the patients utilized telemedicine. Older participants had lower odds of telemedicine use than did those aged ≤ 30 years [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.112, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.045-0.279 for 50-59 years; AOR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.076-0.474 for 60-69 years; AOR = 0.223, 95% CI = 0.092-0.542 for ≥ 70 years]. Female sex (AOR = 2.519, 95% CI = 1.44-4.408), having a higher education level (AOR = 3.434, 95% CI = 1.037-7.041 for secondary education and AOR = 5.87, 95% CI = 2.761-8.235 for higher education), and living in urban areas (AOR = 2.721, 95% CI = 1.184-6.256) were associated with higher odds of telemedicine use. Among socioeconomic factors, employed participants had higher odds of telemedicine use (AOR = 4.336, 95% CI = 2.3-8.174). Furthermore, compared to those with the highest socioeconomic status (SES) index, those with the lowest SES were less likely to use telemedicine than those with the highest SES index (AOR = 0.193, 95% CI = 0.055-0.683 for the lower bottom (poorest).
This study highlights a significant disparity in the utilization of telemedicine services across different populations, primarily due to demographic and socioeconomic factors.
本研究调查了沙特阿拉伯利雅得慢性病患者使用远程医疗的情况及差异。
对随机选取的初级医疗保健中心进行横断面研究，以确保利雅得17个行政区均有代表。对342名完成问卷的参与者使用标准化问卷进行访谈。使用卡方检验和多变量混合效应逻辑回归模型评估人口统计学和社会经济因素与远程医疗利用之间的关系。
在342名参与者中，研究显示25.73%的患者使用了远程医疗。年龄较大的参与者使用远程医疗的几率低于30岁及以下的参与者[50 - 59岁的调整优势比（AOR）= 0.112，95%置信区间（CI）= 0.045 - 0.279；60 - 69岁的AOR = 0.19，95% CI = 0.076 - 0.474；70岁及以上的AOR = 0.223，95% CI = 0.092 - 0.542]。女性（AOR = 2.519，95% CI = 1.44 - 4.408）、教育水平较高（中等教育的AOR = 3.434，95% CI = 1.037 - 7.041；高等教育的AOR = 5.87，95% CI = 2.761 - 8.235）以及居住在城市地区（AOR = 2.721，95% CI = 1.184 - 6.256）与使用远程医疗的几率较高相关。在社会经济因素方面，就业参与者使用远程医疗的几率较高（AOR = 4.336，95% CI = 2.3 - 8.174）。此外，与社会经济地位（SES）指数最高的人群相比，SES指数最低的人群使用远程医疗的可能性低于SES指数最高的人群（最底层（最贫困）的AOR = 0.193，95% CI = 0.055 - 0.683）。
本研究强调了不同人群在远程医疗服务利用方面存在显著差异，主要是由于人口统计学和社会经济因素。
