RecruitingACTRN12626000257369

Satisfaction and Perceived Quality of Service Between Virtual Versus Face to Face Pediatrics Consultation : A Parallel group Randomized Controlled Trial

A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Satisfaction and Perceived Quality of Service Between Virtual and Face to Face Consultations Among Pediatric Caregivers in Malaysia

Sponsor

University Sains Malaysia

Enrollment

108 participants

Start Date

Nov 1, 2025

Study Type

Interventional

Conditions

Acute respiratory illnesses in children

Summary

This randomized controlled trial aims to compare caregiver satisfaction and the perceived quality of healthcare services between virtual and face-to-face consultations for children admitted with respiratory illnesses at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM). Caregivers will be randomly assigned to either the virtual consultation group, conducted via WhatsApp, or the face-to-face consultation group at the Pediatric Clinic, HUSM. The study will assess satisfaction using the SKIP-11 questionnaire(validated questionnaire) and quality of service through the SERVQUAL KKM(validated tool) in Malaysia at baseline (4 weeks after discharged) and 2-week follow-up after the first one. Secondary outcomes will include demographic factors influencing caregiver satisfaction. The results will provide valuable insights into the feasibility and effectiveness of virtual consultations in pediatric care, especially during situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligibility

Sex: Both males and femalesMin Age: 6 MonthssMax Age: 12 Yearss

Plain Language Summary

Simplified for easier understanding

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telehealth — but does a virtual appointment feel as good as seeing a doctor in person? For parents of sick children, the quality of the consultation and their confidence in the care received matters enormously. This study is comparing how satisfied caregivers are with virtual consultations (via WhatsApp) versus face-to-face appointments for children admitted with respiratory illnesses. Caregivers are randomly assigned to either a virtual or face-to-face follow-up consultation after their child's discharge from hospital. Satisfaction and perceived quality of care are measured using validated questionnaires at two timepoints. The results could help shape how paediatric care is delivered, especially in remote areas or during future health crises. You may be eligible if you are the caregiver of a child aged 6 months to 12 years who was admitted to the General Paediatric Ward at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia with an acute respiratory condition, and you have basic phone skills and a smartphone with internet access. Children with chronic conditions (such as congenital heart disease) and caregivers without internet access are not eligible.

This summary was AI-generated to explain the trial in plain language. It is not medical advice. Always discuss eligibility with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.

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Interventions

Virtual online consultation will be using Whatsapp video call by a trained medical officer(Post graduate In Master in Pediatric medicine) and the trained personnel will gather all the relevant information from the caregiver during the online consultation. The online consultation will be only conducted twice-4 weeks following the discharge from ward, and 2 weeks after the first consultation. Each video consultation is about 15 to 30 minutes. Total duration of intervention is 6 weeks-first TCA will be 4 weeks after discharged and 2 weeks following the first TCA/appointment. All the online consultations will be conducted by the trained medical officer(Post graduate Master students in Pediatrics) All trained personnel who had involved in this study were trained 2 times before the recruitment start- for the inter-rater reliability. Test run was held in a meeting room twice a week (2 weeks before recruitment) A standardized model according to Calgary-Cambridge consultation model. -A phone call and whatsapp message will be sent to the caregivers to encourage compliance to follow up/involvement in this study. The change of study design to parallel group Randomized control Trial which means caregivers will be giving 2 times online consultations with the aim to assess the effectiveness of virtual consultations compared to face to face consultations in improving caregiver satisfaction and perceived quality of care

Locations(1)

Pediatric Ward Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia ,Kelantan, Malaysia

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ACTRN12626000257369