Improving access to urological care in rural underserved populations in Nigeria using telemedicine: a needs...

The poor access to urological care in rural, underserved communities of developing countries, where the burden of surgical diseases is high, deserves innovative approaches to bridge the gap between patients and urologists. Telemedicine as a cost-effective modality has been utilized to improve access to healthcare in most medical specialties, especially post-COVID-19. Rural dwellers with urological conditions span different age groups, both genders, and have a wide range of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, which may affect their perception of this innovation. Hence, this study seeks to explore the challenges of in-person consultations experienced by rural patients with urological conditions referred to tertiary facilities, as well as the awareness, perception, and willingness of these patients to accept telemedicine as an innovative tool to improve access to prompt urological care.

An online questionnaire was used to survey willingly consenting adult (> 18 years) urological patients at a tertiary referral center on challenges to physical urological consultation, perception of access to urological care, and willingness to accept telemedicine consultation in urology.

A total of 118 patients participated, with a mean age of 50.64 ± 17 years. 28%, 47%, and 41% of the patients perceived access to urological care as good, fair, and poor, respectively. 42.4%,59.3%, and 55.3% of the patients highlighted long waiting times, heavily busy clinics, and a limited number of urologists, respectively, as the major challenges of in-person urological clinic visits. One hundred and five (89%) patients were willing to have a telemedicine consultation as an alternative to a physical consultation. The influencers of willingness to accept telemedicine were the time from referral to consultation (p-value 0.046) and prior awareness of telemedicine (p-value 0.007).

Telemedicine as a tool to improve access to urological care for rural patients in referral centers will be accepted by most patients, irrespective of ethnicity, age, or gender.