Factors Influencing Patient Satisfaction with the Use of Teleconsultation in Morocco

Teleconsultation is a promising solution for improving access to care, and its use has increased considerably since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient satisfaction with teleconsultation is crucial to its successful implementation, use, or continued use. However, no research has been undertaken in Morocco to address this issue. The aim of this study is to identify the factors influencing patient satisfaction with the use of teleconsultation, while determining the characteristics of teleconsultation users. This study was conducted at the public Hospital in the province of Al Haouz, and involved a sample of 152 patients. Data were collected using the Telemedicine Satisfaction Questionnaire developed by Yip et al. [24], with adjustments made to adapt it to the context of our study. Data collection occurred between April 17 and May 05 2023 through telephone calls. This method was chosen due to the specific nature of our target population, where almost all individuals were illiterate and unable to independently read and complete the questionnaire electronically. Results were analyzed using Excel and SPSS version 27 software. Linear relationships between variables were evaluated using the Pearson test. Student's t-test was used to compare the means of two independent groups, while one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the means of three or more groups. The results of the study showed that the majority of patients were women (69.40%), and that the age groups most represented were those aged 40–49 and 50 and over. However, patient satisfaction with teleconsultation did not exhibit any notable correlation with these characteristics. The majority of patients (68%) expressed a high level of satisfaction with teleconsultation. The quality of care provided, the similarity with the face-to-face encounter and the perception of the interaction were significantly and positively correlated with patient satisfaction. This survey constitutes the first study to explore patient satisfaction with teleconsultation in Morocco, through which we were able to construct a valid tool for measuring patient satisfaction. Examining healthcare professionals’ satisfaction with teleconsultation would also be relevant.