Evaluation of factors associated with trust in telemedicine in patients with inflammatory bowel disease during COVID-19 pandemic: a multicenter cross-sectional survey

F. Bossa, M.R. Valvano, L.M. Vetrone, M. Guerra, L.R. Lopetuso, S. Carparelli, I. Mignini, F. Cocomazzi, D. Napolitano, A. Costantino, F. Caprioli, A. Gasbarrini, F. Perri, A. Papa

Gastroenterology Department, Quality and Accreditation Unit, Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza Hospital, IRCCS, Foggia, Italy. alfredo.papa@unicatt.it

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• Gastroenterology
• Infectious Diseases

OBJECTIVE: Telemedicine (TM) has had a powerful impact in recent years, particularly on managing chronic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Knowing patients’ expectations and concerns is essential to increase their confidence in this mode of medical care.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We interviewed a large cohort of IBD patients enrolled at two Italian tertiary referral centers to investigate their trust in TM.

RESULTS: A total of 376 patients completed the survey and were included in the study: 293 (77.9%) considered TM valuable for managing their disease, and 307 (85%) wanted to have TM service at their center. However, only 99 patients (26.3%) believed that TM guarantees the same level of care as the in-person visit. Among the socio-demographic variables, those independently associated with trust in TM were the higher education qualification (p=0.02) and the level of competence in information and communication technologies (ICT) (p=0.03).

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlighted the importance of equipping IBD patients with basic ICT skills to utilize TM services and increase their confidence in ICT with the help of caregivers. Additionally, to improve the perceived value of TM, it will be helpful to use additional tools such as telemonitoring of disease activity using patients’ reported outcomes or remote measurement of fecal calprotectin.

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