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Telemedicine in Coeliac Disease: In-Person Appointments Are Favoured by Patients With a Lower Education Attainment
Yvonne Jeanes1, Lidia Orlandi1, Humayun Muhammad1
1School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK.
Introduction:
A gluten-free (GF) diet, the only treatment for people living with coeliac disease (CD), is challenging, and international guidelines highlight the valuable role of healthcare professionals in enabling self-management. The study aimed to explore the acceptability of telephone and online video consultations for adults with CD.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study consisting of an online and paper survey was promoted to adults with CD.
Results:
Data from 496 adults with CD (87% female, 96% White) are presented, and 44% were adhering to the GF diet. Over half (58%) were very confident in understanding food labels from supermarkets, whereas only 38% were very confident when shopping online. The largest proportion of patients preferred in-person healthcare appointments for CD (44%), with 20% reporting no preference and 21% preferring telephone appointments. Only 15% preferred online video consultations; of these, 97% were confident with online technology. A higher proportion of patients from a lower household income requested 'in-person' appointments compared with those with a higher income (65% vs. 45% (p < 0.01)). Likewise, 58% of patients without a degree qualification requested 'in-person' appointments compared with 45% of degree-educated patients (p = 0.027).
Conclusions:
We highlight a significant proportion of adults with CD prefer an in-person appointment. The paper survey enabled the views of a broader range of digitally confident patients to contribute to the study. With a global shift towards telemedicine and online resources, access and digital literacy is an important consideration for equitable healthcare to optimize patient self-management of the GF diet.
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