Muntinlupa Science High School

999 Buendia Street, Tunasan, Muntinlupa City

Care Beyond Pandemic: The Relationship Between Online and In-Person

Consultation with the Satisfaction of Senior Citizens
in Muntinlupa City

A Research Paper
Submitted to
The Faculty of Senior High School Department
Muntinlupa Science High School
Tunasan, Muntinlupa City

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirement for
Practical Research 2

Proponents:
Ethan Andre O. Boholst
Deniella Bianca P. Galvez
Clarence Joachim Intal
Anna Lorraine J. Lambon
Alyzza Lois Q. Lopez
Michael John T. Mercado
Vianca M. Mia
Jerome Nico G. Sindac
Elisha Krislyn A. Togonon

Ms. Vanneza Clare G. Martinez

Research Adviser

November 2022
 Muntinlupa Science High School
999 Buendia Street, Tunasan, Muntinlupa City

APPROVAL SHEET

This Thesis hereto entitled:

Care Beyond Pandemic: The Relationship Between Online and In-Person
Consultation with the Satisfaction of Senior Citizens in Muntinlupa City, prepared
and submitted by Ethan Andre O. Boholst, Deniella Bianca P. Galvez, Clarence
Joachim Intal, Anna Lorraine J. Lambon, Alyzza Lois Q. Lopez, Michael John T.
Mercado, Vianca M. Mia, Jerome Nico G. Sindac, and Elisha Krislyn A. Togonon, in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for Practical Research 2 has been examined and is
recommended for acceptance and approval for ORAL EXAMINATION.

VANNEZA CLARE G. MARTINEZ

Adviser

Approved by the Committee on Oral Examination with a grade of PASSED on

____________________.

__________________________ _____________________________
Chair Vice-Chair

___________________________ ____________________________

Member Member

DR. FLORANTE C. MARMETO

Principal IV
Care Beyond Pandemic: The Relationship Between Online and In-Person
Consultation with the Satisfaction of
Senior Citizens in Muntinlupa City

Ethan Andre O. Boholst, Deniella Bianca P. Galvez, Clarence Joachim Intal, Anna
Lorraine J. Lambon, Alyzza Lois Q. Lopez, Michael John T. Mercado, Vianca M.
Mia, Jerome Nico Sindac, and Elisha Krislyn A. Togonon
boholstethan@gmail.com; deniellabianca@gmail.com; clarencejoachim17@gmail.com;
lambonanna@gmail.com; alyzzaloisl@gmail.com; lightingfast27@gmail.com;
miavianca397@gmail.com; nicosindac1@gmail.com; togononelisha08@gmail.com

Abstract: Covid-19 has forced many healthcare offices and clinics to improve their
patient-handling procedures. Telehealth enters the health industry as an alternative to
face-to-face consultations because of Covid-19. The purpose of this study is to
investigate and assess the differences in satisfaction of senior citizens who live in
Muntinlupa City with telehealth and face-to-face consultation in the post pandemic.
The researchers created a pre web survey for senior citizens to answer then will
choose the respondents who fit in the criteria. The selected respondents will be 50 and
above to see the entire difference and to see if it is effective. Through an online
survey, the researchers use quantitative methods to analyze and examine the
differences in perspective and satisfaction. The goal of this study is to help senior
citizens see the differences to determine what is the right option for them to be
checked on, and to help healthcare providers improve their service to satisfy more
patients.

Key Words: Telehealth; Face-to-face consultation; Satisfaction; Perspective;

Senior citizens
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We, researchers, would like to extend our sincere thanks, deep gratitude, and
appreciation to all those who, in one way or another, contributed to the understanding
of this study. 

To Ms. Vanneza Clare Martinez, our research adviser, for her unending
patience and effort in checking and improving my work, for directing us on what to
do, for generously sharing her expertise, and for believing in our potential with her
patience, understanding, and wisdom. 

To Ms. Tavu, Mr, Bueno, Mrs. Cuñado, and Mrs. Laxamana who validated
our research topic.

To our parents for their participation and wholehearted support in this study.

 To the participants who kindly allowed us to ask them questions for the
surveys and

Most of all, to our Almighty God, for giving us, the researchers, the strength,
wisdom, courage, and guidance to successfully finish this paper.
 INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Androga et al. (2022) stated that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to physician practice, particularly by

shifting the mode of care from in-person to virtual. The world today knows the use of

technology in more areas of life than ever. The invention of health technology enables

health workers to utilize telecommunication devices in delivering care, easing access

to healthcare anywhere, anytime. In addition, Wolters K. (2022) stated that the Covid-

19 pandemic has significantly increased the usage of telehealth, which is anticipated

to become a routine component of patient treatment going ahead. "Telehealth is the

use of telecommunication technologies to facilitate patient-to-provider or provider-to-

provider communication. Communication may be synchronous with real-time 2-way

video communication or asynchronous transmission of patient clinical information."

(Aloitabi et al., 2017). During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has grown to be a

significant method of healthcare delivery. In contrast to in-person visits, less is known

about how patients view the quality of care delivered via telehealth.

Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Thursday, March 12, 2020,

announced the imposition of Metro Manila-wide community quarantine that calls for

stringent social distancing measures in a bid to combat the threat of coronavirus

disease 2019 (COVID-19). The government responded by introducing a five-level

alert system that specified what should be done to contain COVID-19 at various

levels of risk. Primary care services were instructed to employ "virtual" consultations

wherever feasible during this first COVID-19 lockdown period, which in effect meant

that every patient was required to undergo a telephone or video triage consultation to
determine whether they needed to be seen in person. A reduction in in-person

consultations was intended to lessen the possibility of COVID-19 spreading through

waiting areas, particularly to patients who were more susceptible to infection, as well

as to safeguard medical staff members from the virus. We ought to think about what

will be gained and what can be lost as we get ready to embrace a future where

telemedicine is commonplace. The advantages of telemedicine following its pandemic

renaissance are more obvious than ever: timely and convenient access to care that

overcomes geographic barriers, less strain on the medical infrastructure (e.g., traffic,

facility wear, possibly fewer staff needs), and little to no exposure to infectious

diseases for all participants. However, there are still worries that something might be

lost if everyone uses telemedicine as a standard procedure. Many telehealth

researchers and enthusiasts contend that telemedicine should serve as an addition to

in-person care rather than a substitute for it. Telemedicine was underused and

understudied worldwide until the COVID-19 pandemic, during which reduced

regulations and increased payment parity facilitated a rapid increase in telemedicine

consultations.

COVID - 19 is helpful for everyone in certain ways such as challenging the

world's medical abilities which in turn helped everyone grow into something more

incredible and more resilient than before; Healthcare has improved a lot with COVID-

19 acting as the medium, not only the technology helps to reduce errors, prevent

adverse drug reactions, protect patient privacy, and improve overall care.

Telemedicine aims to improve the health of all people around the world by utilizing

providers' skills to cure and prevent patients' diseases through proper diagnosis,

monitoring, treatment, and education of healthcare providers. Though COVID-19 is

the reason why many healthcare systems have stopped performing their regular
routine or daily operations despite the challenges, the healthcare systems have been

very creative to mitigate the effects but also resilient enough and robust enough to be

a solid solution to it.

It is not always possible for doctors to properly assess and diagnose conditions

through phone calls or Zoom Meeting alone. This means that more often than not,

many patients who sit for a remote consultation then need to follow up in person

(Drenik, 2022). This view of Drenik (2022) means that telehealth is not enough to

cure patients’ diseases or illnesses, but face-to-face consultation will give more

accurate results of the condition.

Previous research studies on telehealth and face-to-face consultation only

focused on telehealth satisfaction during pandemics of various ages; however, this

study will focus on the perspective and satisfaction of senior citizens in Muntinlupa

between telehealth or online and face-to-face consultation in the post-pandemic. Past

studies have shown different results regarding the topic which helps the researchers to

conduct this study to give clear and new data to the readers.

Review of Related Studies and Literature

The review of the Research and Literature of this study is to examine the

differences in the senior citizens’ perspective and satisfaction with telehealth and

face-to-face consultation in the post-pandemic. In this review, various research and

literature involving the perspective and satisfaction of the patients in telehealth and

face-to-face consultation as a subject will be tackled. With these, knowledge about it

will be attained–making it easier to be understood and/or opposed.

 The researchers need to know the limits of that field and what research has

already been conducted to make sure it hasn't been studied before. SARS-CoV-2

(coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) has affected nearly every aspect of our lives.

It has certainly changed how we deliver health care (Clipper, 2020). Androga et al.

(2022) stated that telehealth had become a valuable tool not only in specialized

medical care but also during extraordinary circumstances like the COVID-19

pandemic where social distance matters. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, many

healthcare offices changed their service, from face-to-face consultation to telehealth

or online consultation or in-person consultation.

Jeanie et al. (2021) claimed that telehealth was adopted in March 2020,

crossing over the standard procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. People

who received telehealth services said they could contact staff, get support, and

schedule an appointment as easily as they could. Patients in online consultation are

satisfied with the services they received because of many factors. As paraphrased,

according to Antig (2018) the importance of face-to-face consultation or interactions

with the doctor are that patients will not feel rushed, will feel more connected, get

better care, and less risk of miscommunication. Indeed, new technologies are

extremely helpful in improving patient convenience and accessibility, but they can’t

entirely replace face-to-face doctor’s visits, at least not yet (Antig, 2018).

The capacity to deliver essential health services has been negatively impacted

by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly due to lockdown restrictions (Noceda et al.,

2022). Noceda et al. (2022) found that telemedicine enables patients to access services

provided by physicians, communicate their medical concerns, and have those

concerns treated, much like in-person consultations do. The COVID-19 pandemic

prevents people from going outside, especially because of quarantine restrictions.

They, therefore, rely on telehealth services, which is advantageous since it allows

patients to access medical services, discuss their medical problems, and receive

treatment for those concerns, much like in-person appointments can. To support this

claim, a a similar study by Brant et al. (2016) also found that telehealth services

would provide such beneficial experiences as patients will easily be able to send

pictures and audios of their symptoms.

Elliot et al. (2020) implied that telemedicine patients are satisfied because they

have made interactions with the clinician and the overall user experience, which

includes accessibility and convenience. The services that patients received from the

clinic satisfied them which made them choose online consultation to be beneficial for

them. On the other hand, an article from Practice Business (2019) stated that “Face-

to-face appointments will always remain a major element of general practice, and

remote consultations will continue to be delivered where appropriate and useful. The

mode of consultation should be determined through shared decision-making between

a patient and practice staff.”. It is stated that remote consultations or online

consultations are only an option to be considered when appropriate and useful, but

face-to-face consultations or in-person consultations will always be the primary focus

of clinics. However, whether patients choose online, or in-person consultation

determines the outcome.

Knapp (2020) stated that “many patients are not attending because they fear

that they may not be safe in a general practice environment.”. This is a Covid-19

effect in medical care where in-person consultations are lower in visits than online

consultations that enter the industry because social distancing is required. For

instance, “May also suggest that patients were more accepting of telehealth services at

this time as opposed to when there are no concerns associated with risks posed by a
pandemic” (Androgra et al., 2022). Online consultations are more favored during

pandemic because of factors that make people afraid to go outside.

In the findings of Imlach et al. (2020), they stated different results they have

collected. “For most patients, telehealth can be as good, or even better than, in-person

care, especially for those who face geographical and time barriers to access” (Imlach

et al., 2020). Patients who live far away from hospitals and have a busy schedule find

online consultation useful because it allows them to be checked on more easily. On

the other hand, (Imlach et al., 2020) “For others, telehealth will not be as good as in-

person visits”. For most people, online consultation cannot be compared to in-person

consultation because of technological difficulties and reasons patients believed such

in-person consultation, the results are more accurate because there is a heart-to-heart

talk between the provider and the patient. However, in accord to Alleman (2002) and

Joinson et al. (2006), as cited in Zeren (2015) they stated that people are more

comfortable disclosing themselves online than they can in face-to-face interactions.

To identify the quality assurance of telehealth, the previous study by Bhandari

et al. (2020) stated that the experience and satisfaction of a patient and provider would

be the leading indicator or distinguisher. The medical service and approach given to

the patients can alone tell whether or not telehealth can be a great alternative with face

to face consultation. In the same study conducted by Bhandari et al. (2020), it was

found that the use of telehealth services provides great satisfaction for most patients

and is recommended to be used in the future. However, there are some factors needed

to be given attention to as today is different from the said future. Although telehealth

is in lined with the future, Brant et al.’s (2016) study stated that today we might

experience difficulties in adopting the online consultation as it would encounter

privacy and confidentiality risks, require times of practice, and clinical risk which
may involve medicolegal issues. In addition, practical issues such as internet

connection and financial problems serves as another barrier.

Ramaswamy et al. (2020) As a recent and possibly disruptive breakthrough,

telemedicine must be proven to be secure, efficient, patient-centered, timely, and

egalitarian. When compared to in-person consultation, clinical consultations carried

out via video visits are linked to high patient satisfaction and cheaper costs without

affecting clinical outcomes. However, the majority of these conclusions are supported

by data from small studies that concentrated on remote telemedicine in remote areas

or patient populations with very specific needs (such as stroke care, rural ICUs, or

prisons), which are unrelated to the care provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Four systematic evaluations show there is little published evidence to evaluate patient

satisfaction as a criterion for comparing to in-person visits out of all the studies

examining the quality of telemedicine.

Scope and Limitations

This study is primarily concerned with the satisfaction of senior citizens in

using online and in-person consultation. The purpose of this study is to assess and

examine the perspective and satisfaction of the respondents during the post-pandemic

in the city. Therefore, this study sought only their perspective and satisfaction with

online and in-person consultation.

The selection of respondents is only the senior citizen in Muntinlupa who

experience online and in-person consultation in the post-pandemic. The duration of

this study is within the first semester of the school year 2022-2023. The research

selected questionnaires will help the researchers to obtain data information from the

responses of the respondents that were selected.

Significance of the Study

This study will help the beneficiaries to know the differences in perspective

and satisfaction of the senior citizens in Muntinlupa City with online and in-person

consultation. This study will benefit people working in clinics and hospitals and

outside. This study will bring knowledge to those who want to know the right option

to be checked up on and others to improve their service to give more satisfaction to

their patients.

This study will assist senior citizens to choose what is the right option for

them to check their condition and protect their health for the worse. In this way,

senior citizens will avoid future problems with their health regarding the future issues

in the service of online and in-person consultation.

This will help healthcare providers on both online and in-person consultation

to improve the service rendered to the patients who will visit them to give the

satisfaction they need.

Lastly, this study can help the future researcher/s by providing the best

concepts for their research and allowing them to gain knowledge in a wide spectrum

of the perspective and satisfaction of senior citizens in Muntinlupa City with online

and in-person consultation.

Objectives of the Study

 The objective of this study is to examine the differences in senior citizens’

satisfaction between online and in-person consultation in the post-pandemic as this

study is made to improve the services of small clinics in both online and in-person,

and to know what type of consultation would be the most convenient for the senior

citizens and any other patients.

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study is to examine the differences in perspective and

satisfaction of senior citizens in Muntinlupa City with online and in-person

consultation in the post-pandemic. The information gathered can be utilized in

generating possible solutions that could improve the services both online and in-

person consultation.

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

1. What perspective do senior citizens view about online and in-person consulting in

the post-pandemic?

2. What are the satisfactions of the senior citizens with online and face-to-face

consultation in post-pandemic?

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study utilized a quantitative research strategy that has the objective to

examine the differences in perspective and satisfaction with online and in-person

consultation of senior citizens who are living in Muntinlupa. A correlational research

design will be used in the study to find out the differences in perspective and

satisfaction between senior citizens in online and in-person consultation.

Respondents and Sampling

The respondents will be the senior citizens who live around Muntinlupa City

because the researchers will be conducting a study about satisfaction with online and

in-person consultations to see their relationships. The sampling method that will be

used by the researchers is purposeful sampling, also known as purposive or selective

sampling because the researchers aim to have in-depth knowledge and detailed

information from the chosen group of respondents and to assess their perspective and

satisfaction in online and in-person consultation.

Data Gathering Method

The information will be gathered via online and in-person surveys and

interviews. A preliminary survey will be distributed to Muntinlupa City's senior

citizens. The survey will be designed to collect background information to determine

whether the respondents met the criteria. The researchers will then go through the

survey to see if any senior citizens met the criteria. If the respondents are selected, the

interview will be scheduled, and the setting (time, date, and location (if face-to-face))

will be discussed. To assess senior citizens' satisfaction with both online and in-

person consultations, a structured survey or interview will be conducted. The

interview consists of open-ended questions followed by prepared questions from the

researchers.

Data Gathering Procedure

 Consent forms will be given to the participants in exchange for their answers.

The data will be gathered through a survey form where the purpose of the study will

be stated, and structured interviews/questionnaire will be sent and answered online or

face-to-face. Structured questionnaires are when all the questions are prepared in

advance and with no follow-up questions. The participants will be asked to fill out the

survey forms and be interviewed at their preferred time and date, depending on their

schedules. The survey form will be reviewed to determine whether the participant

meets the criteria for being a respondent. The researchers will then disclose how many

participants were chosen as respondents for this study. Then the researchers will

analyze and interpret the answers of the respondents.

Data Analysis

In this study, two groups will be compared to show their relationship. The

satisfaction of the senior citizens in Muntinlupa City with online and in-person

consultation. The online and in-person consultation will be compared according to the

patients’ satisfaction in their services. As a result, a t-test will be used as the statistical

tool in this study to analyze the data gathered during the process. The T-test is used to

determine whether two groups are the same or different.

Ethical Considerations

The researchers will ensure that when conducting surveys and interviews, the

participants' involvement, and all the information they provide will be protected, kept

confidential, and utilized exclusively for this study.