Digital Health for Breast Care: Patient Satisfaction and Reducing Disparities through Telemedicine

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Oncology
• Patient Care

Background:

• Virtual teleconsultation is crucial for managing chronic conditions like breast diseases.
• The Ruban Virtual Breast Clinic in Iran provides teleconsultation for non-urgent chronic complaints via offline messaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient satisfaction with teleconsultation services offered by the Ruban Virtual Breast Clinic.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire assessed patient demographics, consultation reasons, and satisfaction using a 10-point Likert scale.
• The study included patients who had at least one virtual consultation with a breast surgeon on the Ruban platform.

Main Results:

• Out of 583 eligible patients, 367 (62.9%) participated.
• The average patient satisfaction score was 91.6 out of 100, demonstrating high satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Telehealth services, specifically virtual consultations, are feasible and well-accepted for meeting patient healthcare needs.
• These findings highlight telehealth's potential to enhance access to care, with further research needed on clinical effectiveness.