Investigating the Factors Influence Intention to use Medical Teleconsulting Service During COVID-19 Pandemic in Thailand

10.2478/bjlp-2023-000008

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency of international concern. Due to mandatory social distancing and the lack of effective treatments, telemedicine has become the safest interactive system between patients, (both infected and uninfected) and clinicians. During this period, all patients, with acute or chronic conditions, need ways to obtain medical attention other than going to the emergency room (E.R.) or to the clinic. Medical teleconsulting has been a practical approach for COVID-19 management as it allows us to reduce the risk of cross-contamination and provides support to remote rural locations. The most optimistic forecasts could not anticipate the impact of a pandemic on this medical field, whose financial implications exceeded all expectations. The goal of this study was to find out what factors affect the use of medical teleconsulting. To do this, 397 Thai citizens in Bangkok were asked to fill out a survey.  The data was collected and analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results show that the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has a stronger positive effect on the intention to use medical teleconsulting than health concerns, which come from the Health Belief Model (HBM). To encourage the use of medical teleconsulting, stakeholders should emphasize the patient's perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. This finding helps better understand the patient psychology factors in the new medical consulting methodology.