Survey study of telemedicine-experienced physicians on the acceptability of telemedicine: using propensity score matching method

Background: The purpose of this study is to analyze the differences in the acceptability of telemedicine between telemedicine-experienced and -inexperienced physicians.Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted using the Doctor Survey of the Korean Medical Association. A total of 1,385 physicians were included in the analysis. Propensity score matching was used to control selection bias. The chi-square tests were used for bivariate analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to adjust for covariates (gender, age, working area, working type, institution type, and the specialty of physicians).Results: Physicians with experience in telemedicine were 2.53 times more likely to accept to allow telemedicine as a medical system than physicians without experience in telemedicine. Physicians with experience in telemedicine responded that telemedicine should be allowed to returning patients only and not be allowed to first-time patients. This response of telemedicine-experienced physicians was 3.73 times higher than that of telemedicineinexperienced physicians. Physicians with experience in telemedicine responded that telemedicine for first-time patients should be only allowed under specific situations. This response of telemedicine-experienced physicians was 2.59 times higher than that of telemedicine-inexperienced physicians.Conclusion: Telemedicine-inexperienced physicians were more acceptable to telemedicine as a medical system than telemedicine-inexperienced physicians. Physicians with experience in telemedicine suggested that telemedicine should be allowed to returning patients only and might be allowed to first-time patients only under specific situations.