Patient Satisfaction With Videoconferencing-based Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorders

Area of Science:

• Clinical Psychology
• Health Services Research
• Telemedicine

Background:

• Alcohol use disorders (AUD) pose a significant public health challenge.
• Traditional face-to-face treatment delivery may present barriers to access for some patients.
• Telemedicine offers a potential solution to enhance treatment accessibility and patient engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare patient satisfaction between standard face-to-face treatment (TAU group) and optional videoconferencing-enhanced treatment (TAU+I group) for AUD.
• To assess the satisfaction of the TAU+I group with the overall treatment and specific technical aspects of videoconferencing.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods study combining surveys and qualitative interviews.
• Quantitative data collected via questionnaires from both TAU and TAU+I groups.
• Qualitative data gathered through semi-structured interviews with the TAU+I group.

Main Results:

• Both TAU and TAU+I groups reported equal satisfaction with core treatment elements.
• The TAU+I group expressed high overall satisfaction with the treatment.
• Patients were satisfied with videoconferencing connection and image quality, but less so with sound quality.

Conclusions:

• Patients generally reported satisfaction with both treatment modalities.
• A non-significant trend suggested higher overall satisfaction in the TAU+I group, potentially due to the option of choosing videoconferencing.
• Videoconferencing can be a valuable addition to AUD treatment, possibly improving outcomes, but technical improvements are recommended.