Understanding consumers’ motivation to use teleconsultation systems for online medical consultations: A study of a teleconsultation application in Saudi Arabia

The use of the teleconsultation system has increased in recent years, enabling healthcare providers and patients to share, communicate and transfer information in real-time via various telemedicine services and applications. However, there is a lack of studies that underpin factors that motivate consumers (patients) to use teleconsultation systems. This is because most telemedicine studies, in general, and teleconsultation studies specifically were about the systems’ feasibility, effectiveness, process, acceptability, clinical outcomes, accessibility and cost in delivering remote consultation. The overall aim of this research is to understand what motivates consumers to use the teleconsultation system for online medical consultation and to identify factors that influence their motivation to use it.