# Assessing Telemedicine Competency Among Doctors in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Questionnaire-Based Cross-Sectional Study

## TL;DR

This study evaluates doctors' knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward telemedicine in a tertiary hospital, highlighting the need for training and infrastructure.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into telemedicine competency gaps and barriers among doctors in a tertiary care setting.

## Key findings

- 95% of doctors were aware of telemedicine, but many lacked knowledge on legal and ethical issues.
- 80% had a positive attitude toward telemedicine and believed it could improve rural patient care.
- Most doctors (90%) expressed a strong need for training and faced challenges like poor infrastructure and data security concerns.

## Abstract

Background

The use of telemedicine in contemporary healthcare has become essential, providing a novel method of delivering care, particularly in rural and underdeveloped areas. This study assesses the telemedicine awareness, knowledge, attitude, skills, and challenges among physicians working in tertiary care hospitals.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out with 100 doctors from diverse specialties at a tertiary care institution. The questionnaire evaluated five domains: telemedicine awareness and knowledge, telemedicine attitude, telemedicine technology skills, telemedicine utilization patterns, and perceived barriers and educational needs.

Results

The study indicated that 95% of participants were aware of telemedicine. However, knowledge gaps remained, particularly in legal and ethical concerns (50%) and international rules (40%). Eighty percent of respondents had a favorable opinion of telemedicine, and 85% thought it might improve patient care in rural regions. The proficiency level of telemedicine users was variable: 60% of them had previous experience, and 70% of them rated their proficiency as intermediate or better. According to utilization patterns, 50% of telemedicine users used it at least once a week, primarily for remote monitoring (30%) and video consultations (60%). The study found that 90% of respondents had a high demand for training and educational opportunities. The absence of infrastructure (65%), worries about data security (55%), and patient acceptability (30%) were the main obstacles found. It also highlighted how important it is to have defined policies and collaborate across disciplines.

Conclusion

The study identifies a good attitude toward telemedicine among doctors as well as a need for improved training and infrastructure. It is essential to tackle these requirements and obstacles in order to successfully incorporate telemedicine into healthcare systems.