JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Telehealth visits involve remote real-time interactions between physicians and users. While their potential benefits have been extensively recognized, they have been widely adopted only during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitals now face the challenge of leveraging the lessons learned to improve the telehealth visits they offer. In this view, understanding the variables impacting user satisfaction with telehealth visits is crucial. The literature lacks a comprehensive, valid, and reliable model to explain the relationships among these variables.

Objective:

This study aims to investigate the variables impacting user satisfaction with telehealth visits and identify suggestions for improvement.

Methods:

Two models on variables impacting user satisfaction with telehealth visits were developed. The first model applies to all users undergoing telehealth visits, while the second one applies only to patients who have received a telehealth visit using videoconferencing tools. The models were built based on literature and eight interviews with physicians with extensive experience in telehealth visits. They were then tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling on 477 responses obtained by administering a survey to guardians of patients who had received at least one telehealth visit in a major European children's hospital.

Results:

Both models show that Perceived Usefulness positively influences both Satisfaction and Perceived Quality, while Perceived Quality positively influences Satisfaction. The second model shows that the Perceived Ease of Use positively influences Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Quality.

Conclusions:

This study identifies and tests two comprehensive, valid, and reliable models on the variables influencing user satisfaction with telehealth visits. The models may provide insights for hospitals to improve telehealth visits.