Patients’ perspectives on video consultation for non-communicable diseases: qualitative study in Singapore

Background Telemedicine is increasingly used to provide primary care services amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding patients' perspectives on telemedicine is pivotal for its wider adoption in managing non-communicable diseases (NCD) in the community.

Aim This study explores the views and concerns of patients who have yet to use video consultation (VC) for NCD management in Singapore.

Design & setting This qualitative study was conducted in a Singapore primary care clinic.

Method 16 patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and/or hypertension and/or hyperlipidaemia without prior VC experience participated in individual in-depth interviews in this study. They were purposively enrolled in the polyclinic. Audited transcripts were independently coded by two investigators. Thematic analysis was performed to identify perspectives on telemedicine based on the health, information, and technology zones of the Health Information Technology Acceptance Model (HITAM).

Results Three themes emerged: perceived benefits of VC utility, perceived barriers towards VC adoption, and potential challenges of VC. Participants viewed VC as safe and convenient if they had stable NCD. They voiced concerns on possible suboptimal care due to the absence of physical examination, network connectivity, and personal medical data security. Participants highlighted challenges of VC uptake such as digital health familiarity, availability of their own mobile and telemonitoring devices, and healthcare costs consideration.

Conclusion Addressing the concerns and challenges highlighted by non-VC users can help physicians and policy-makers explore ways to scale up telemedicine in Singapore. A hybrid clinical care model comprising in-person visits and VC may be the way forward for NCD management.