{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T07:28:02Z","timestamp":1777879682851,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":62,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,1]],"date-time":"2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751328000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,1]],"date-time":"2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751328000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Public Health Research"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The digitalisation of healthcare has introduced virtual consultations as a means of improving accessibility and efficiency. However, the adoption of this technology among hospital doctors remains slow due to concerns about patient safety, quality of care, usability, and medico-legal implications.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Aim:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study examines hospital doctors\u2019 perceptions of digital virtual consultations, identifying key factors influencing their acceptance and implementation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Design and methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A structured survey based on the Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM3) was distributed to 886 hospital doctors in a tertiary hospital in Malta. A total of 133 responses were received (15% response rate), with 67% of respondents completing the full questionnaire. The survey measured key variables such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, job relevance and behavioural intention. Statistical analyses included Fisher\u2019s exact test, Friedman\u2019s test and ANOVA to explore significant relationships among variables.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The findings suggest that while doctors acknowledge virtual consultations as beneficial adjuncts to face-to-face consultations, concerns persist regarding technological infrastructure, usability and cost-effectiveness. Job relevance (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.028) and perceived external control were significant predictors of perceived usefulness and ease of use. Behavioural intention was most strongly influenced by perceived usefulness (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&lt;\u20090.001). Despite the insights offered, the 15% response rate may introduce non-response bias, limiting the generalisability of findings across the wider population of hospital doctors.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To enhance adoption, healthcare systems must invest in infrastructure, training, and policy frameworks. Conducting feasibility and cost-effectiveness studies, coupled with stakeholder engagement, will be essential for successful implementation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/22799036251361425","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,19]],"date-time":"2025-08-19T09:54:48Z","timestamp":1755597288000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Hospital doctors\u2019 attitudes to the adoption, implementation and utilisation of digital virtual consultations"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Dorothy","family":"Zammit","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Health Systems Management &amp; Leadership, University of Malta, Msida, MSD, Malta"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9064-8315","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gianpaolo","family":"Tomaselli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Health Systems Management &amp; Leadership, University of Malta, Msida, MSD, Malta"}]},{"given":"Lalit","family":"Garg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Computer Information Systems, Faculty of Information &amp; Communication Technology, University of Malta, Msida, MSD, Malta"}]},{"given":"Sandra C.","family":"Buttigieg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Health Systems Management &amp; Leadership, University of Malta, Msida, MSD, Malta"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4415-7942","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gloria","family":"Macassa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, Department of Social Work, Criminology and Public Health Sciences, University of G\u00e4vle, Sweden"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5455\/aim.2014.22.276-282"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3122\/jabfm.2015.03.140255"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4103\/0970-258X.258220"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3399\/bjgp18X694853"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_6_2","article-title":"Video consultations in primary and specialist care during the covid-19 pandemic and beyond","volume":"371","author":"Car J","year":"2020","unstructured":"Car J, Koh GCH, Foong PS, et al. 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