Table 3 Representative quotes for Theme 3, related to visit modality preference

In-person preference

“I would always prefer in person visit just because all of my vitals get taken … etcetera, etcetera. I have a number of issues. So, the preference would always be that, but I don’t have any problem doing it the other way [telemedicine] unless there is something that has to be in person.”

“Yes, in both, the doctor has visual contact with you, but there can’t be much examination in the video visit. You can just show and he can see. It’s better than not seeing anything and not being able to communicate, but the [in-person] visit offers much more benefit.”

“Yes, that can be handled by video or telephone but I feel to an extent that I’m giving up something beneficial for my health by not seeing the providers in person.”

“Honestly, in-person quality of care was better just because they’re actually able to perform all the essential features of a visit that they’re not able to give you over a video.”

Video visit preference over telephone visit

“As I look at video visit, I think it would still be a lot better than over the phone just because … you would be able to show the doctor like where it hurts. If you have a rash or something, just show it to them...”

“The video one was a little bit better than the phone one just because I was actually able to see them better, I was … able to point out things, they were … able to swipe over the video to see the concerns that I was having...”

“I think a video visit would be better so the doctor could see me. She could see how I take my blood pressure and I could show her my record that I have here. She could see it herself. She could tell if I’m doing things correctly and not deceiving her.”

“I feel that the doctor would at least be seeing me. He couldn’t touch me, but he could see me. I don’t know. It would be different.”

Anxiety and lack of confidence in self-monitoring and self-managing health without in-person physical evaluation by a trained medical professional

“It’s different to have a doctor check you and assess you based on what’s physically going on with you and hearing these things and seeing it himself than for you to try to explain. I feel like, as patients, unless we’re trained as medical physicians, we don’t have the words sometimes to explain...”

“It’s a different feeling as a person that has a disease. … they’ve told me that I’m getting four stages … I’m in stage III. That means that’s the end of it. … I think going in, when I get my blood pressure taken by the doctor, I get a blast of relief that lasts me till the next visit. … I’m old. I like to see them. I’m not digging the phone visits.”

“ … over the phone, they would ask like, “Do you feel the baby moving? How do you feel? How is everything going?” but there was no actual physical examination, so how is the doctor actually gauging that everything is actually okay, because I am not a doctor myself. I just answer the questions [to] the best of my ability … but there’s no actual real medical examination or procedure happening for the doctor to confidently tell you that everything’s okay through the phone.”

“Well, you don’t get your weight checked, you don’t get your pulse checked, your blood pressure checked. I think that’s important for an old person every seven days … once a month, once every two months. You need your blood pressure checked by a professional, and temperature checked by a professional. … I’d like to know and have it charted … I’m speaking for the old aged people. I’m 71. Old people need to be actually on the scale and told to make them feel better.”