Satisfaction with Telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic: Patients' and psychiatrists' report from a University Hospital

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to important changes in the approach to patients worldwide. Different agencies have proposed and implemented telemedicine-based care services in order to ensure access to health care for all people. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the satisfaction of patients using the Telepsychiatry service offered by the Department of Psychiatry of the Hospital de Clinicas (National University of Asuncion, Paraguay). Methods: A cross sectional and descriptive study has been conducted. Participants were recruited through a phone-based survey. Satisfaction with Telepsychiatry has been measured with an adapted version of a satisfaction survey in Teleneurology. As a complement, psychiatrists from the Hospital de Clinicas were also interviewed about their rate of satisfaction with Telepsychiatry. Results: A total of 530 patients were included, 51.3% of whom were women. The consultation satisfaction scale ranged between 2.15 and 4.30 with a mean score of 3.02 +/- 0.32. Cronbach's alpha for the scale was .897, indicating a good internal consistency. Patients' satisfaction was higher for the perception of Telepsychiatry and lower for the doctor-patient relationship. Of the physicians, 87.5% were satisfied with the Telepsychiatry service. Conclusion: The satisfaction overall score indicates patients' general satisfaction with the quality of care in Telepsychiatry, mainly regarding the perception of health care. and lower satisfaction with the doctor-patient relationship. Nine out of 10 psychiatrists felt satisfied with the Telepsychiatry service and considered that the degree of patient's satisfaction was acceptable during the Telepsychiatry consultation.