Individual Perceptions of the Efficacy, Quality, and Safety of Sexual Health Care Delivered via a Direct-to-Consumer Telehealth Platform: Retrospective Analysis of Data From a Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

چکیده اصلی

BACKGROUND: Increasingly, individuals are seeking treatment for sexual health concerns through direct-to-consumer (DTC) telehealth platforms, and there is ongoing debate about whether such platforms can deliver safe and effective care. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine how men who sought sexual health treatment through a large national DTC telehealth platform viewed the quality and safety of their care, and how these perceptions differed from those of men who sought other types of treatment through the platform. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of data gathered from an online survey sent to individuals who accessed treatment through the DTC telehealth platform. Individuals completed the survey between June 30, 2025, and July 3, 2025. The survey consisted of 4 sets of items that asked respondents about their perceptions of the quality and safety of the care they accessed. We used descriptive statistics to summarize individuals' responses to survey items and chi-square tests to compare the responses of those who accessed sexual health treatment with those who accessed other types of treatment. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 497 men who accessed sexual health treatment and 512 men who accessed other types of treatment through the platform. Among sexual health participants, 397 of 497 (≥80%) reported favorable impressions of the quality and safety of care across most survey items. Sexual health participants were more likely than nonsexual health participants to view the online intake as similar to an in-person appointment (χ²1=12.4; P<.001) and more likely to rate the telehealth experience as better than in-person care with respect to privacy and discretion (χ²1=14.8; P<.001); the convenience of managing their care (χ²1=14.9; P<.001); the thoroughness of questions asked during the intake (χ²1=23.5; P<.001); the clarity of treatment options and information (χ²1=17.1; P<.001); the overall sense of safety and medical quality (χ²1=18.2; P<.001); their trust in the care model and medical providers (χ²1=18.2; P<.001); and the transparency about possible side effects and risks (χ²1=12.8; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Men who accessed sexual health treatment via a national DTC telehealth platform had positive perceptions of the overall quality and safety of care. Their responses to specific survey items may inform future research on the efficacy, quality, and safety of DTC telehealth, as well as product and service development in virtual health care.

ترجمه فارسی چکیده

مطالعه‌ای برای بررسی نگرش مردانی که درمان سلامت جنسی را از طریق پلتفرم تله‌درمانی مستقیم به مصرف‌کننده (DTC) دریافت کرده‌اند، به کیفیت و ایمنی مراقبت‌های خود و تفاوت این نگرش‌ها با مردانی که سایر درمان‌ها را دریافت کرده‌اند، انجام شد. داده‌ها از یک پرسشنامه آنلاین جمع‌آوری شد و از آمار توصیفی و آزمون کای-مربع برای مقایسه پاسخ‌ها استفاده شد. نتایج نشان داد که اکثریت (≥۸۰٪) از شرکت‌کنندگان سلامت جنسی، نگرش مثبتی نسبت به کیفیت و ایمنی مراقبت‌های خود داشتند. این شرکت‌کنندگان احتمال بیشتری داشتند که تجربه تله‌درمانی را نسبت به مراجعه حضوری در موارد حریم خصوصی، راحتی، دقت در سوالات، شفافیت گزینه‌های درمان، حس ایمنی و کیفیت پزشکی، اعتماد به مدل و ارائه‌دهندگان پزشکی و شفافیت در مورد عوارض جانبی را بهتر ارزیابی کنند.

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