Association Between Telemedicine Adoption and Physician Job Satisfaction: Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Digital Health
• Physician Workforce Studies

Background:

• Telemedicine use has surged, particularly post-COVID-19, enhancing healthcare access and flexibility.
• While patient benefits are known, telemedicine's impact on physician job satisfaction requires further investigation.
• Physician job satisfaction is crucial for workforce stability, well-being, and quality of care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the association between telemedicine adoption and physician job satisfaction.
• To determine if the physician-patient relationship mediates this association.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey of 12,052 physicians in Xi'an, China, was conducted using an online questionnaire (REDCap).
• Data collected November-December 2023 included self-reported telemedicine adoption and validated job satisfaction measures.
• Statistical analyses included partial proportional odds modeling and Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) decomposition for mediation.

Main Results:

• Telemedicine adoption (13.62% of physicians) was significantly associated with higher job satisfaction (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.30) after adjustments.
• The physician-patient relationship partially mediated this association, accounting for 30.30% of the total effect (indirect effect 0.10, 95% CI 0.07-0.13).
• Associations remained robust across sensitivity and subgroup analyses, with no significant interaction effects.

Conclusions:

• Telemedicine adoption positively correlates with physician job satisfaction, partly due to improved physician-patient relationships.
• Policies should encourage telemedicine while optimizing platforms for effective physician-patient interactions.
• Enhancing provider well-being and care outcomes can be achieved through strategic telemedicine implementation.