Perceptions of Patients and Physicians Regarding Audio-Only Gynecology Virtual Clinics: The Experience of a Tertiary Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), virtual clinics served as the cornerstone modality of telehealth in many health institutions. This study aimed to examine patients' and physicians' perceptions of the integration of audio-only gynecology virtual clinics. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A convenience sampling technique was followed for physicians and patients. The questionnaires utilized were validated. RESULTS: During March 2021-March 2022, a total of 220 subjects participated in the study. Physicians accounted for 24.5% (n = 54), while patients accounted for 75.5% (n = 166). Overall, only 55.5% of the physicians agreed virtual clinics should continue after the pandemic, while 84.6% and 76% of the patients reported satisfaction and the wish to use virtual clinics again, respectively. Physicians who seldom found physical examination to be indicated, who seldom requested patients to attend physically to the clinic, and who had a positive outlook on virtual clinics were more likely to desire continuing virtual clinics after the pandemic (p < 0.001). Patients who had positive outlooks regarding virtual clinics were shown to be more satisfied with virtual clinics (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Audio-only gynecology virtual clinics are accepted by both physicians and patients with higher satisfaction among patients. Physicians' positive outlook yet reluctance to continue virtual clinics suggests the need to modify the conduction of virtual clinics and necessitates larger-scale prospective studies on this topic.