Knowledge and moral attitude toward telemedicine among Egyptian physicians

AimTo assess knowledge and moral attitudes toward telemedicine among physicians.Subject and methodsA cross-sectional study was carried out on a group of working physicians at Beni-Suef University Hospital who agreed to participate in the study (n = 304). A semi-structured interview questionnaire was distributed via two methods: in-person interviews and an online Google form.ResultsOf the 304 participants, the largest percentage of participants had heard about telemedicine (61.8%); the internet, mass media, and electronic media were the most common sources of telemedicine knowledge (41.0%) for them; and they had never received any telemedicine training (84.5%). More than half of the studied physicians (53.6%) had a good level of knowledge. Nearly all the studied physicians (99.3%) had a good attitude toward telemedicine.ConclusionDespite having a telemedicine unit at their workplace, more than one-third of doctors said they had never obtained any telemedicine training. More than half of the physicians in the study possessed a high level of knowledge. Nearly all of the physicians in the study had a good attitude toward telemedicine. Telemedicine has many benefits for our healthcare system, including enhanced efficiency and cost-effectiveness of all medical services.