Hema Divakar¹*, Hrishikesh Pai², Rita Singh³, Poorni Narayanan³, Sheetal Joshi⁴, Pallavi SP⁵ and Gubbi Venkatasubbaiah Divakar⁶

¹CEO and Chairman - Asian Research and Training Institute for Skill Transfer (ARTIST), Medical Director - Divakars Speciality Hospital, Bengaluru, India
²Founder and Medical Director, Bloom IVF Group, Mumbai, India
³Master Trainers - ARTIST, Associate Obgyn Consultants – Divakars Speciality Hospital, Bengaluru, India
⁴Project Lead - ARTIST, Bengaluru, India
⁵Research Coordinator - ARTIST, Bengaluru, India
⁶Managing Director - Divakar Speciality Hospital, Bengaluru, India

*Corresponding Author: Hema Divakar, CEO and Chairman - Asian Research and Training Institute for Skill Transfer (ARTIST), Medical Director - Divakars Speciality Hospital, Bengaluru, India.

Received: June 13, 2024; Published: July 05, 2024

Abstract

Background: In countries like India, where healthcare disparities between rural and urban areas are pronounced, understanding patient perceptions is crucial for scaling up Video Consultation (VC) services. In this regard, this study aims to investigate patient perceptions and behaviors regarding VC in both rural and urban healthcare settings.

Methods: A descriptive study was conducted among Obstetrics and Gynecology patients in Karnataka from mid-March to mid-May 2024, who obtained VC. Non-probability sampling was used, with data collected through online video consultation feedback forms distributed to patients. Criteria included adults (≥18) from both urban and rural settings, who consented to participate in the study.

Results: The study included 206 participants from urban (n=70) and rural (n=139) areas. Overall, about 75.1% of participants expressed high satisfaction with VC. A rural-urban comparison revealed the urban cohort reporting higher overall satisfaction (94.2% vs. 65.4%), better audio/video quality ratings (61.4% vs. 8.6%), clearer instructions from doctors (88.5% vs. 61.8%), and a perception of time-saving (88.5% vs. 38.8%). However, the majority of participants from both cohorts manifested willingness to recommend online consultations (97.1% vs. 96.4%). The most preferable option for VC was through a mobile application.

Conclusion: This study underscores the overall high ratings of VC based on patient perception, although it reveals geographical disparities, with rural patients exhibiting lower satisfaction compared to urban patients. It emphasizes the imperative for improved infrastructure and tailored solutions in rural areas to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of VC.

Keywords: Healthcare; Video Consultation; Urban; Rural; Turnaround Time

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Citation

Citation: Hema Divakar., et al. “Effectiveness of Care Through Video Consultations: The Patient Perspective”.Acta Scientific Medical Sciences 8.8 (2024): 29-36.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2024 Hema Divakar., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.