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A Qualitative Study of Primary Care Physicians’ Experiences with Telemedicine during the COVID-19 Pandemic in North-Eastern Poland

Author

Listed:
  • Karolina Pogorzelska

    (Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, 15054 Bialystok, Poland)

  • Ludmila Marcinowicz

    (Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Maternity Care, Medical University of Bialystok, 15295 Bialystok, Poland)

  • Slawomir Chlabicz

    (Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, 15054 Bialystok, Poland)

Abstract

(1) Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, primary care clinics quickly moved to provide medical consultations via telemedicine, however, information about primary care professionals’ perspectives is limited. (2) Methods: Thirty semi-structured interviews with primary care professionals working in north-eastern Poland were conducted to assess their perspectives regarding the benefits and challenges of telemedicine. (3) Results: Primary care professionals highlighted that telemedicine increases access to medical services and reduces travel inconvenience. Remote consultation is not as time-consuming as in-person visits, which enables the provision of medical services to a greater number of patients which is particularly important in primary care. The inability to see patients and loss of non-verbal communication represent a significant difficulty in providing remote care. Primary care professionals indicated patients are not always able to express themselves sufficiently in a telephone call, which leads to performing medical consultations inefficiently. Physicians also pointed out that in particular medical cases, physical contact is still necessary to reach an accurate diagnosis and give the necessary treatment. Statements of the study participants also show that primary care professionals are satisfied with providing medical advice with telemedicine and show their interest in continuing remote consultation in the post-COVID era. (4) Conclusions: Primary care professionals have moved towards incorporating telemedicine into their daily routines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the many difficulties encountered, healthcare professionals have also noticed the benefits of telemedicine, especially during challenging circumstances. The study shows telemedicine to be a valuable tool in caring for patients, although it should be emphasized that face-to-face consultations cannot be fully replaced by remote consultations.

Suggested Citation

  • Karolina Pogorzelska & Ludmila Marcinowicz & Slawomir Chlabicz, 2023. "A Qualitative Study of Primary Care Physicians’ Experiences with Telemedicine during the COVID-19 Pandemic in North-Eastern Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-15, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:3:p:1963-:d:1042768
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jiahe Chen & Yi-Chen Lan & Yu-Wei Chang & Po-Ya Chang, 2019. "Exploring Doctors’ Willingness to Provide Online Counseling Services: The Roles of Motivations and Costs," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Livio Garattini & Marco Badinella Martini & Michele Zanetti, 2021. "More room for telemedicine after COVID-19: lessons for primary care?," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 22(2), pages 183-186, March.
    3. Marco Cascella & Franco Marinangeli & Alessandro Vittori & Cristina Scala & Massimo Piccinini & Alessandro Braga & Luca Miceli & Renato Vellucci, 2021. "Open Issues and Practical Suggestions for Telemedicine in Chronic Pain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-10, November.
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