The experience of patients with diabetes with the use of telemedicine and teleassistance services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: Factors associated with perceived quality and willingness to continue.
AIM
The purpose of this study is to investigate the individual and contextual determinants of the perceived quality (PQ) of the telemedicine and teleassistance (TMTA) services and the willingness to continue (WC) with them among patients with diabetes using TMTA services during the COVID-19 pandemic in one large region of Italy.


METHODS
A structured survey was administered to patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes who used TMTA during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire contained questions on TMTA service experience and participants' socio-demographic characteristics. Multiple regression models investigated the independent factors associated with PQ and WC.


RESULTS
The final analysis included 569 patients with diabetes (54.7% female), with an average age of 58.1 years. TMTA services' PQ and WC were high. A higher education and being unemployed were factors associated with an increased WC. Older age was negatively related to PQ. Perceived support from TMTA service was positively associated with PQ and WC. Perceived increase in disease self-management was positively associated with PQ and WC.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study identified several determinants of PQ and WC. These socio-demographic and TMTA-related factors should be considered in the implementation of care pathways integrating in-person visits with TMTA.
['Maietti|Elisa|E|', 'Sanmarchi|Francesco|F|', 'Palestini|Luigi|L|', 'Golinelli|Davide|D|', 'Esposito|Francesco|F|', 'Boccaforno|Nunzia|N|', 'Pia Fantini|Maria|M|', 'Di Bartolo|Paolo|P|']
D000368:Aged D000086382:COVID-19 D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D058873:Pandemics D000086402:SARS-CoV-2 D017216:Telemedicine
Diabetes Telemedicine Teleassistance Perceived quality Patients’ experience