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Telehealth in Times of COVID-19: Spotlight on Austria.
Kletecka-Pulker, Maria; Völkl-Kernstock, Sabine; Fassl, Anna; Klager, Elisabeth; Willschke, Harald; Klomfar, Sophie; Wochele-Thoma, Thomas; Schaden, Eva; Atanasov, Atanas G.
  • Kletecka-Pulker M; Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
  • Völkl-Kernstock S; Institute for Ethics and Law in Medicine, University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 2-4, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
  • Fassl A; Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
  • Klager E; Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
  • Willschke H; Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
  • Klomfar S; Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
  • Wochele-Thoma T; Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
  • Schaden E; Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
  • Atanasov AG; Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Healthcare (Basel) ; 9(3)2021 Mar 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1129690
ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION:

With the spread of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the world has been experiencing an extraordinary state of emergency. As patients entering a doctor's practice can potentially infect medical staff and other patients, using digital alternatives wherever possible is a potential solution to avoiding face-to-face encounters. In these conditions, telemedicine is becoming increasingly relevant. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine telemedicine use and gathered experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria. MATERIALS AND

METHODS:

In June 2020, a representative group of Austrian respondents (n = 1000) was asked via online survey whether they had contacted a doctor during spring of 2020, and, if so, whether they had used a telemedical method to do so. The survey also reflected gathered experiences and degrees of satisfaction with the use of telemedicine.

RESULTS:

A third (33%) of those who contacted a doctor during the target period did so using telemedical tools. The majority of those with previous telehealth experience were satisfied with the help they received. Patients commonly used a telephone to contact their doctors. The overall assessment of telemedical aids tended to be positive, with more than half (53%) of those surveyed seeing significant advantages, and a 90% satisfaction rate among the respondents who used telehealth services.

CONCLUSION:

The outcomes from this work hint at fairly high acceptance of telemedical communication tools in the studied group of the Austrian population. Based on the high rate of satisfaction among patients who used telehealth, it is expected that the use of telehealth services will increase further in the near future.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Type of study: Observational study / Qualitative research Language: English Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Healthcare9030280

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Type of study: Observational study / Qualitative research Language: English Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Healthcare9030280