Objectives: To evaluate patients' satisfaction with phone consultation in KKUH during COVID-19 and to identify the advantages
and limitations of phone consultation. Methods: Researchers conducted this analytical cross-sectional study between March 2020
and March 2021. Stratified systematic sampling was employed to recruit the patients randomly who had a phone consultation
experience in the outpatient clinic at KKUH in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In addition, all patients who received at least one phone
consultation received an online validated questionnaire. The data collected consisted of demographic characteristics, level of
satisfaction, advantages and disadvantages, and future attitudes toward phone consultation. Results: Overall, 307 patients
completed the questionnaire; 51.8% were male, 79.8% were ≥40 years old, 73.0% were married, and 43.0% had a university degree.
The patients' overall satisfaction with virtual clinics was 58.6%. Age group ≥40 years and married status were statistically significant
favorable satisfaction with a phone consultation p-value < 0.02 and 0.03 respectively. Most participants 54.7% thought that the best
advantage of phone consultation is accessibility. However, the inability to meet the healthcare professional face-to-face was
reported by 56.1% as the most important disadvantage. Conclusion: The majority of KKUH patients 60% were satisfied with phone
consultations. The positive satisfactions were associated with older age group and being married. Therefore, whenever
feasible, phone consultation should promote access to health care services, especially for individuals who may find difficulty in a
face-to-face consultation. This strategy would save patients time, reduce follow-up time, and allow more patients to be served.
Keywords: Covid-19, phone consultation, patients’ satisfaction, advantage of
phone consultation, disadvantages of phone consultations.