Researchers: Rachel Nissanholtz-Gannot¹, Ziv Paz²

Background: Telemedicine is defined as the provision of medical services through technological means without the patient’s physical presence. It is associated with advantages such as improved accessibility, reduced waiting times, and fewer travels. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated the integration of telemedicine technologies in Israel and worldwide.

Objectives: To examine the scope of use, characteristics, satisfaction, and attitudes toward telemedicine visits, telephone and video, compared to in-person visits, among patients and physicians in various outpatient clinics.

Method: A mixed-methods design was used, including a comprehensive administrative analysis of over three million outpatient visits in nine Clalit hospitals between 2021–2024, alongside surveys of physicians and patients and in-depth interviews.

Findings: In the post-COVID-19 period, most visits (88%) remained in-person, compared with 13% by telephone and 0.5% by video. Telemedicine use was more common among women, younger adults and those aged 81+, and among patients living more than 5 km from the clinic, indicating its contribution to reducing accessibility gaps. Waiting times for remote visits were significantly shorter. The highest use was recorded in genetics (96%) and cardiac rehabilitation (43%). Physicians and patients emphasized time savings and improved accessibility as main advantages, while highlighting challenges such as the lack of physical examination, impaired communication, and the need for user-friendly and supportive digital platforms for patients with low digital literacy.

Conclusions: The integration of telemedicine in Clalit’s outpatient clinics improved accessibility, reduced waiting times, and enhanced satisfaction, yet posed several challenges.

Recommendations: It is recommended to establish national guidelines and standards, develop tailored clinical and administrative models, invest in training and technological infrastructure, and reduce digital disparities through guidance, translation, and support for vulnerable populations.

Research end date: 12/2025