Technology and Medical Care in India: Growth of Telehealth Awareness during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Journal
The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India
ISSN: 0004-5772
Titre abrégé: J Assoc Physicians India
Pays: India
ID NLM: 7505585
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Oct 2022
Oct 2022
Historique:
medline:
26
6
2023
pubmed:
25
6
2023
entrez:
25
6
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of telemedicine in health care delivery worldwide. However, the true success of telemedicine depends on patients' acceptance, which in turn is decided by their interest in telemedicine. In this study, we aim to assess the population interest in telemedicine services across India during the COVID-19 pandemic. We measured national-level public interest in "telemedicine" using terms related to telemedicine in Google Trends during the years 2019 and 2020. The relationship between population search volume for telemedicine (composite score) and the number of COVID-19 cases during the early phase of COVID-19 was analyzed. The literacy rate and relative interest in telemedicine in the states were analyzed to assess the impact of education on telemedicine interest. The interest in telemedicine in the year 2020 is higher compared to the year 2019 (U = 269.5, z = -7.043, p<0.001). The search trends for telemedicine increased consistently during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The greatest search volume was seen in Andhra Pradesh. There was a strong correlation (r = 0.65, p < 0.001) between the initial increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and population-level interest in telemedicine over time. The relative interest in telemedicine for the year 2019 showed a significant direct relationship with the literacy rate (r = 0.47, p = 0.04). However, the relative interest in telemedicine for the year 2020 showed no relationship with the state's literacy rate signifying the spread of telemedicine across literacy barriers. Population interest in telemedicine was higher in the year 2020 compared to the previous year and remained high even after the easing of lockdown. The COVID-19 pandemic has played an important role in increasing the Indian public's interest in telemedicine.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of telemedicine in health care delivery worldwide. However, the true success of telemedicine depends on patients' acceptance, which in turn is decided by their interest in telemedicine. In this study, we aim to assess the population interest in telemedicine services across India during the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS
METHODS
We measured national-level public interest in "telemedicine" using terms related to telemedicine in Google Trends during the years 2019 and 2020. The relationship between population search volume for telemedicine (composite score) and the number of COVID-19 cases during the early phase of COVID-19 was analyzed. The literacy rate and relative interest in telemedicine in the states were analyzed to assess the impact of education on telemedicine interest.
RESULTS
RESULTS
The interest in telemedicine in the year 2020 is higher compared to the year 2019 (U = 269.5, z = -7.043, p<0.001). The search trends for telemedicine increased consistently during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The greatest search volume was seen in Andhra Pradesh. There was a strong correlation (r = 0.65, p < 0.001) between the initial increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and population-level interest in telemedicine over time. The relative interest in telemedicine for the year 2019 showed a significant direct relationship with the literacy rate (r = 0.47, p = 0.04). However, the relative interest in telemedicine for the year 2020 showed no relationship with the state's literacy rate signifying the spread of telemedicine across literacy barriers.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
Population interest in telemedicine was higher in the year 2020 compared to the previous year and remained high even after the easing of lockdown. The COVID-19 pandemic has played an important role in increasing the Indian public's interest in telemedicine.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37355863
doi: 10.5005/japi-11001-0111
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
11-12Informations de copyright
© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.