Satisfaction With Virtual Consultation Services and Associated Factors Among Health Care Providers in Government Health Clinics in Selangor, Malaysia.

BACKGROUND

In Malaysia, virtual consultation services (VCSs) have been implemented by the Ministry of Health (MOH) since 2019 to complement current healthcare service delivery in government health clinics. Although the services have been proven to benefit patients, little is known about the satisfaction of healthcare providers (HCPs) who run the services. This study utilizes the extended Technology Acceptance Model to evaluate the satisfaction of HCPs with VCS and identify associated factors to further improve these services.

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we aimed to determine the proportion of HCPs who were satisfied with the VCS and identify factors contributing to this satisfaction.

METHODOLOGY

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 42 government health clinics in Selangor, Malaysia, using an online survey comprising a validated questionnaire of the extended Technology Acceptance Model. A total of 137 HCPs from various categories responded to the online survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.

RESULT

The majority of the respondents (72.3%) were satisfied with the VCSs, with a mean score of 14.47 ± 3.391. Two factors were found to be significantly associated with HCPs' satisfaction: perceived usefulness (adjusted odds ratio = 9.396; 95% confidence interval = 3.196-27.625) and behavioral intention (adjusted odds ratio = 8.311; 95% confidence interval = 2.494-27.694).

CONCLUSION

Our results indicated a moderately high percentage of HCPs in government health clinics of Selangor who were satisfied with VCS (72.3%). Perceived usefulness and behavioral intention of HCPs were two strong determinants of satisfaction with VCS. Therefore, efforts should be directed toward improving satisfaction with VCS by addressing these factors to ensure the sustainability of these services to best benefit patients.