Date Posted: June 9, 2026

Author/s: Barbara Amity Flores, MD; Celine Adao; Kristina Frances Bathan; Danielle Marie Bello; Kevin Charles Bernal; Janine Ann Buenaseda; Eddylle Franc Bumagat; Ma. Gemima Capati; Camille Caranguian; Ma. Theresa Angela Catolico; Fidel Bryan Ceñidoza; Vincent Jullian Custodio; Cheska Rose De Guzman; Margaret Alexa De Guzman; Gene Patrick Del Rosario; Jose Maria Dumaya; Beatrice Ysabel Dychinco; Romina Mae Fajardo; Joanne Garcia; Benjhu Louise Hernandez; Maria Isabela Virginia Llamas; John Paul Losbañes

Background: As the world started facing the pandemic brought by COVID-19, different innovations were implemented to continuously provide and deliver healthcare services to the Filipino people. Telemedicine allows patients to seek consultation for medical problems without the risk of exposure that comes with leaving the house to visit the doctor. This study aims to establish physician perception on the use of Telemedicine as an alternative mode of consultation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Descriptive, purposive, cross-sectional study was conducted. Respondents were physicians from public or private institutions in Luzon. A survey questionnaire was sent through email and social media platforms, consent were secured and responses were collated.

Results: A total of 69 physicians participated. Results showed that most of the respondents started using telemedicine only after the pandemic started. Majority were from the National Capital Region (NCR) and affiliated with a private clinic. The ages ranged from 31-40 and 51-60 years old. Social networking sites, such as Facebook Messenger, and Viber, were the most commonly utilized telemedicine platform. Participants perceived the use of telemedicine as easy to use and navigate (n=65) and appropriate during this pandemic (n=68). With regards to cost-effectiveness, most of the participants perceived telemedicine as cost-effective in terms of fees for services and expenses. Advantages that were perceived were provision of access to remote or rural patients (n=61) and improved patient convenience (n=63). While challenges that were perceived were the technological problems (n=69), limitations in assessing the patient’s condition (n=68), and there were security risks in terms of the patient’s medical information (n=68).

Conclusion: Majority of the physician-respondents were private practitioners from NCR. Most perceived the use of telemedicine as easy and cost-effective during the pandemic. Telemedicine also provided access to medical care in remote areas, aside from the safety and convenience provided as consultations were done in the protected confines of the home. However, there were also perceived downsides to the use of telemedicine — particularly, internet connectivity problems and the possible security risks of patient’s medical information.

Keywords:
Telemedicine, physicians, COVID-19, perception