Assessment of Awareness, Knowledge and Perspective towards Telemedicine among Medical Students in India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60787/tnhj.v24i3.849Keywords:
Telemedicine, Medical students, India, Knowledge, AwarenessAbstract
Background: There have been significant developments in the field of technology in recent times with telemedicine standing out as a transformative tool in patient-centered healthcare delivery, potentially revolutionizing how we diagnose, manage, and create future treatment plans for chronic diseases. This study assessed the awareness, knowledge, and perspective of medical students (MBBS) about Telemedicine in a private medical college in Pune, India.
Method: Using a cross-sectional design, the present study effectively employed a quantitative approach through a questionnaire-based survey. Data from 259 medical students from a private medical college in Pune, India were collected; including both males and females over the age of 18. The data was collected and statistically analysed using SPSS software version 29 and the chi-square test was used.
Result: The analysis of the collected data showed that 72.2% of male students presented with average knowledge about telemedicine, compared to 67% of female students, and this difference was found to be statistically significant. A maximum of 80.6% of students were aware that telemedicine technology has been used during COVID-19 to provide the best medical practices. 47% of medical students strongly agreed that telemedicine should be incorporated into their curriculum, out of which 58% had average knowledge about telemedicine.
Conclusion: While the use of telemedicine is common in many countries, the results of the current study showed that the medical student’s knowledge of telemedicine technology was limited. The study suggests that more education and clinical exposure to telemedicine should be included in the medical school's curriculum.
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