Acceptability of Telehealth as the Default Modality for Multiple Sclerosis Care in Switzerland: Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Telehealth can improve access to care for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), but information on its acceptance is limited in Switzerland. Objective: This study aimed to determine the proportion of people living with MS willing to accept telehealth as a new default and the factors associated with their acceptance. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using survey data from the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Registry. We defined “telehealth as a default” as a health care model where remote consultations (telephone and/or video calls) are the primary mode of interaction between patients and their physicians, with in-person visits based on clinical necessity. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between telehealth acceptance and sociodemographic and health-related factors. Telehealth acceptance was described in relation to 3 survey variables that mirrored key constructs from the Non-Adoption, Abandonment, Scale-Up, Spread, and Sustainability (NASSS) framework. The variables were digital communication preferences, internet use for health provider searches, and experience with telemedicine. Results: Among 427 respondents, 15.5% (66/427) reported a willingness to accept telehealth as their default. In this group, only 21.2% (14/66) had experience using telemedicine. A descriptive analysis of our 3 NASSS-derived key constructs showed that among the 78.5% (335/427) respondents who generally agreed to digital access to health data, only 17.0% (57/335) accepted telehealth as a default. Notably, 30.7% (129/427) of participants stated a wish for support for using devices or the internet. Among those 129 individuals, 17.1% (22/129) were willing to accept telehealth as a default. Of the 89 people with prior telehealth experience, 15.7% (14/89) were willing to accept telehealth. In multivariable analysis, digital communication with health care providers (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 14.56, 95% CI 6.18‐39.04; P