Al-Mahrouqi Tamadhir, Al-Sabahi Fatema, Al-Alawi Mohammed, Al Rubkhi Munira, Al Abdali Marwa, Al Salmi Muna, Al-Hashemi Tharaya, Al Nuumani Rahma, Al Balushi Fatma, Al Zaidi Rashid, Al-Adawi Samir, Jose Sachin, Mirza Hassan
Department of Behavioral Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman.
College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
Front Digit Health. 2025 Jun 4;7:1563180. doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2025.1563180. eCollection 2025.
Telehealth has become a valuable tool for providing health services remotely through digital communication technologies. Therefore, assessing patients' satisfaction and the utility of this tool is crucial for future implementation and development.
A cross-sectional survey study was conducted at Al Masarra Hospital between January 1st, 2023, and June 30th, 2023, with adults recruited from the general adult psychiatry clinic and received at least 3 previous telephone-based psychiatry consultations. Data were then analyzed using the Chi-square test and a multivariate binary logistic regression.
Among 222 patients (a mean age = 37.72 years), the majority (77.5%) were found to have an overall satisfaction with the service. Most participants agreed that telehealth improves access to healthcare services (65.2%), saves time traveling (78.4%), and meets their healthcare needs (75.7%). A total of 22.5% of participants reported dissatisfaction with the service. Significant predictors of satisfaction included sex, employment status, and monthly income. Females were more likely to be satisfied with telephone-based psychiatric consultations (Adjusted OR = 2.525, = 0.030). Homemakers or unemployed participants were more likely to report satisfaction (Adjusted OR = 7.838, = 0.009), as were those earning between 150 and 499 OMR (Adjusted OR = 10.967, = 0.001) and ≥500 OMR (Adjusted OR = 46.312, < 0.001).
Telephone-based psychiatry consultations demonstrated high usability, satisfaction, and accessibility among study participants. Sex, employment status, and monthly income significantly influenced satisfaction levels. These findings highlight the potential of telehealth to bridge gaps in mental healthcare delivery, particularly for underserved populations in Oman. It is important to consider, however, the issues that might arise during these consultations that lead to dissatisfaction in some patients, and find suitable solutions for both the patients and the healthcare providers.
远程医疗已成为通过数字通信技术远程提供医疗服务的重要工具。因此，评估患者对该工具的满意度及其效用对于未来的实施和发展至关重要。
2023年1月1日至2023年6月30日期间，在马斯拉医院开展了一项横断面调查研究，招募对象为普通成人精神病科门诊的成年人，且此前至少接受过3次电话精神病咨询。然后使用卡方检验和多元二元逻辑回归对数据进行分析。
在222名患者（平均年龄 = 37.72岁）中，大多数（77.5%）对该服务总体满意。大多数参与者认为远程医疗改善了医疗服务的可及性（65.2%），节省了出行时间（78.4%），并满足了他们的医疗需求（75.7%）。共有22.5%的参与者表示对该服务不满意。满意度的显著预测因素包括性别、就业状况和月收入。女性对电话精神病咨询更有可能感到满意（调整后的比值比 = 2.525，P = 0.030）。家庭主妇或失业参与者更有可能表示满意（调整后的比值比 = 7.838，P = 0.009），月收入在150至499阿曼里亚尔之间的人（调整后的比值比 = 10.967，P = 0.001）以及月收入≥500阿曼里亚尔的人（调整后的比值比 = 46.312，P < 0.001）也是如此。
电话精神病咨询在研究参与者中显示出较高的可用性、满意度和可及性。性别、就业状况和月收入显著影响满意度水平。这些发现凸显了远程医疗在弥合精神卫生服务差距方面的潜力，特别是对阿曼服务不足的人群。然而，重要的是要考虑这些咨询过程中可能出现的导致部分患者不满意的问题，并为患者和医疗服务提供者找到合适的解决方案。
