Is there a difference in the satisfaction levels between professionals who have participated and those who have not participated in the TeleUTIP telemedicine project regarding their engagement in tele-education activities?

ABSTRACT Objective The aim of this study is to introduce a distance education program and assess the satisfaction of health professionals. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in five public hospitals across different regions of Brazil. A total of 171 health professionals participated in a tele-education activity involving discussions of complex cases in a Case-Based Learning (CBL) format. Employee satisfaction was measured using the translated questionnaire Tele-Education Satisfaction Assessment Instrument (IAS-TE). Results The mean satisfaction score for participants was 4.6 on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Participants engaged in the telemedicine project (35.5%) reported significantly higher satisfaction (p<0.001) compared to their non-participating peers (n = 149, 64.5%). The IAS-TE exhibited a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.73, indicating good reliability, and demonstrated good homogeneity (KMO = 0.76, Bartlett’s test of sphericity = p<0.00). Conclusion Participants in the proposed activity expressed high levels of satisfaction. The findings suggest that satisfaction levels are elevated among professionals involved in the telemedicine project. The proposed satisfaction assessment instrument (IAS-TE) exhibits robust psychometric qualities and is suitable for evaluating other distance education activities. Future perspectives involve gaining a deeper understanding of strategies to enhance satisfaction for professionals who do not engage in activities using advanced technology.