Authors: Majed Mohammed Al Saleh , Faisal Suheam B Alamri , Abdulaziz Mari Ali AlQahtani , Abdullah Mohammed Alrofydi , Hassan Adel Hassan Alasiri , Bandar A Alasmari , Abdullah Saeed ,

Abstract

Background: Telemedicine is essential for handling long-term illnesses in basic healthcare, as it expands access, improves tracking, and is more convenient for patients. However, for telemedicine to last, healthcare staff must be confident, and organizations must be prepared.

Objectives: This study aimed to explain how family doctors in Abha City’s primary healthcare centers use telemedicine. It identifies what they see as good points and problems and what makes them feel sure about using telemedicine to handle long-term conditions.

Methods: From June to August 2025, a survey was conducted with 98 healthcare workers in Abha City’s primary healthcare centers. The survey collected details on their backgrounds, how they use telemedicine, how well they think it works, how confident they feel, and what they see as good and bad. Data were examined using descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation, multiple linear regression, and chi-square tests.

Results: The people who answered (98% doctors, average age 41-50 years) said they often use telemedicine for diabetes (99%) and high blood pressure (96%). They felt confident (57.1% were very or extremely confident). The number of years they worked in healthcare (ρ=0.425, p<0.001) and how well they thought telemedicine worked (ρ=0.355, p<0.001) were closely related to their confidence. The main problems were lack of training (80.6%) and insufficient patient involvement (78.6%). The main benefits included better access (80.6%) and good use of resources (75.5%).

Conclusion: Telemedicine is widely used in Abha’s primary healthcare centers, and the healthcare staff are usually confident. However, their success depends on their work experience and the extent to which they think it works. Dealing with the lack of training and getting patients more involved is important to get the best from telemedicine for handling long-term illnesses and supporting Vision 2030 health goals.

Keywords: Telemedicine, chronic disease management, family medicine, primary healthcare, provider confidence, digital health.