The Assessment of the Attitudes of People Seeking Services from Family Medicine Units Toward Telemedicine Practices

Abstract

Introduction:

This study aimed to examine the attitudes of patients visiting family medicine units toward telemedicine services in order to assess the extent of social acceptance of digitalization in primary health care services.

Methods:

This cross-sectional and descriptive study included 333 individuals aged 18 years and older who visited the Family Medicine units at the Antalya Training and Research Hospital between April 1, 2025, and June 1, 2025. The “Attitude Scale for the Use of Telemedicine Services” developed by Yucel and Uyar, was administered to the participants through face-to-face interviews conducted by researchers, utilizing a 5-point Likert scale.

Results:

The mean scale score for participants was determined to be 61.46 ± 13.27, and a significant negative correlation was found between age and scale scores (p < 0.001). The overall scores rose notably, as the education level increased (p < 0.001). The attitude scores for those who used smartphones and computers, respectively, were significantly greater than for those who did not use them (p = 0.006, p = 0.001). A significant correlation was found between the lack of trust in treatment offered via telemedicine services and the willingness to use such services if information was provided by a family physician (p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Our study demonstrated that, alongside demographic factors, contact with family physicians is a determining factor in shaping people’s attitudes toward telemedicine services. The active involvement of family physicians in telemedicine practices could facilitate the integration of digital health care services into the community.