Exploring medical staff ‘s attitudes, towards the using of Telehealth during the COVID 19 pandemic, with in Al Thager General Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background: Despite the extensive research on the utilisation of Telehealth during COVID-19, no review has attempted to summarise the findings for a better understanding of how the global event has affected healthcare professionals’ attitudes toward Telehealth. This study presents a systematic review of medical staff attitudes toward the utilisation of Telehealth during COVID-19. Methods: Utilising the PRISMA guideline, a comprehensive literature search was performed in three electronic databases: PubMed, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect. All the retrieved articles were screened according to specific inclusion criteria to select relevant articles published between 2014 and 2022. Results: Fifteen relevant articles were included in the systematic review. Thematic analyses of the retrieved data led to the synthesis of four themes: (1) Positive attitudes, (2) facilitators and enablers, (3) negative attitudes, and (4) barriers. Participants generally reflected positive attitudes toward telehealth utilisation during the pandemic, as evidenced by their positive feedback on actual usage and suggestions for improved telehealth modalities. Specific factors such as ease of use, effort expectancy, performance expectancy, and facilitating conditions were identified as facilitators of positive attitudes. However, negative attitudes such as underutilisation, a higher risk of misdiagnosis, and data privacy and security issues were reported. Conclusion: These findings assist relevant bodies and policymakers in developing strategies to improve the utilisation of Telehealth in the COVID-19 period, as well as balancing the frequency of in-person and Telehealth sessions without compromising the quality of healthcare services.