A Survey on Telemedicine in a Sleep Clinic During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Benefits and Barriers!

Abstract Background. Several restrictive measures have been taken to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, restricting the access to outpatient follow-ups, increasing waiting lists in chronic diseases, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The aim of study is to evaluate the benefits and the barriers of telemedicine in a sleep clinic.Methods. Subjects with diagnosis of OSA treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) were surveyed with a phone-questionnaire to assess the difficulties and knowledge of remote monitoring systems (telemedicine). Furthermore, the participants were divided into two groups according to the favor of telemedicine visits, POSITIVE (in-favor) and NEGATIVE (in favor of in-person visits) and compared with statistical methods.Results. Fifty-three OSA participants (85% men), aged 67,9±7,5 yrs and BMI 36,0±8,0 kg/m 2 were enrolled in the study. The comparison of POSITIVE (24/53) and NEGATIVE (29/53) groups showed some significant differences: knowledge of telemedicine (p=0,001), high education level (p=0,01) and high computer skills (p=0,001) are the main factors influencing the acceptance of telemedicine. In addition, 57% of overall participants seem more likely to conduct a remote visit in the future.Conclusions. Although telemedicine is a useful tool, a majority of patients in our study preferred in-person visits. However, they are willing to conduct telemedicine visits in the future, so our findings suggest that improving patient computer skills and updating technological systems in order to facilitate patients' access may be important strategies to boost acceptance of telemedicine.