Table 2 Representative quotes for Themes 1 & 2 related to satisfaction, convenience, value, and accessibility

Telemedicine visits were satisfactory.

“The doctor was very thorough online. She wasn’t just asking me like, ‘Physically, how are you feeling? Do you have these symptoms? Do you have any bleeding? Do you have any of these?’ She also asked me, ‘Emotionally, how are you feeling? Mentally?’ and stuff like that. … I think that was what she can do online, where you can only do a verbal assessment, then I think it went well.”

“ … prior to having these visits I was suspicious. Like in my mind I didn’t know if the phone call was good enough. But after having this experience, I felt it was pretty good, there didn’t seem to be any difference at all.”

Telemedicine visits were more convenient than in-person visits.

“It’s more convenient because I don’t have to wait. And traveling to the SFGH, transferring buses, takes so long, waiting for like 30-45 minutes.”

“I don’t always have time to go to the hospital, but I can receive a visit call during my lunch break at work.”

“Some people are busy with their children and can’t go out, or they don’t have time to go to their appointments. They won’t miss their appointments. They still get them. I think that’s good. It’s a good option.”

Telemedicine visits were considered a valuable option for patients.

“I know it’s a big deal to put a whole new system in place … , but I would say it would be beneficial. Some people really can’t get out without having the assistance of an ambulance or something.”

“It’s going to be interesting and a good one because sometimes … in this kind of … situation, pandemic, lockdown … it’s going to help us to still keep in touch with our doctor, keep in touch with our nutritionist, … keep in touch with our health condition.”

“Well, sometimes you make the trip to the doctor not very happily because the attention isn’t very good. … They are practically without contact. There are visits that don’t require examining the patient. I think those would be better [via telemedicine].”

Patients had concerns about accessibility.

“ … the problem we have now that my child is in school and with his classes and we had little Internet. And we all had telephones, but not much coverage for Internet.”

“ … not all people it’s going to be easy to understand. For the millennial people like the younger people, it maybe is going to be easy … but older people, it’s going to be hard so maybe guide … the patient first ...”

“They got to sit me down and show me. I mean, I’ve never done that. … I haven’t done that … because now I’m old.”