Date

9-25-2025

Department

School of Health Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)

Chair

John Suchland

Keywords

Telemedicine, Virtual Visit, Sensitivity, Comfort, Telemental Health

Disciplines

Life Sciences

Abstract

In recent years, telemedicine has become a valuable resource to improve communication between patients and health care providers. There are many benefits to telemedicine, but they are only realized if patients and healthcare providers can establish a comforting and trusting relationship between them. Although Telemedicine has positively impacted health care, it is only successful if patients and health care providers can communicate effectively in the virtual environment. This quantitative study developed and validated the Telemedicine Comfort Tool among members of Veterans on Deck. The Telemedicine Comfort Tool is a survey instrument with the goal of measuring the comfort level of patients in a telemedicine setting. By obtaining results of patient comfort levels, telemedicine systems and processes can be tailored to provide patients with a personalized approach to telemedicine and increase comfort levels between patients and health care providers. The Comfort Scale has a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.92 (α). The Telemedicine Comfort Tool can provide healthcare providers with insights to enhance telemedicine experiences during appointments, ultimately improving the overall patient experience. It can also help health care systems improve and optimize telehealth programs, particularly for vulnerable populations and individuals who require a more effective approach to telemedicine. The Telemedicine Comfort Tool can be used to improve telemedicine practices and encourage a trustworthy connection between patients and health care providers.

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