Comparing Financial Efficiency and Quality of Care in Telemedicine, and Clinical Visits for Chronic Patients Registered in Primary Healthcare Centers of Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Primary healthcare plays a fundamental role in advancing public health, and the evaluation of its effectiveness is crucial part for ongoing enhancement and evolution. The escalating prevalence of non-communicable diseases is placing significant burden on the healthcare resources of both developed and developing countries. The aim of this study is to evaluate the financial efficiency and quality of care provided through telemedicine in virtual clinics compared to traditional clinical visits for chronic patients attending Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. This research is using an analytical cross-sectional study design, and it included all adults registered in the HIS for 2023 with DM or HTN. The researcher compared in-person and virtual visit costs and some of the health outcomes. The study included 106,828 participants, with 392,441 visits to Primary Health Centers. The distribution was 52.12% male and 47.88% female, with 53.89% having DM and 46.11% HTN. Education level significantly influences visit preferences (p = 0.003), with higher educated participans evenly splitting between in-person and virtual visits, while those with no literacy favored in-person visits. Significant cost differences were observed between in-person and virtual visits (p < .001), with in-person visits incurring higher lab test counts and costs. In conclusion, our findings show that virtual visits and telehealth services have lower costs compared to the in-person consultations, with almost identical health outcomes for both groups. Which indicates that the virtual and in-person consultations have comparable quality.