Patient involvement in medical decisions on telemedicine platforms: the role of social presence and mindfulness

Patient involvement in decision making during patient-physician interactions has been shown to have positive effects on healthcare outcomes. However, despite the widespread adoption of technology-mediated medical diagnosis and treatment, the nature of patients’ involvement in decision making on telemedicine platforms remains ambiguous. This study investigates the factors that affect patient involvement in the context of telemedicine. Drawing from Social Presence Theory, we theorize that patients’ involvement increases when their perception of social presence through the platform is high and that the effect of social presence is mediated by patient empowerment. We also theorize that the effect of social presence increases when the patient shows high degree of mindfulness. Using survey method, we aim to measure the research variables in a TeleStroke system in which patient-physician interactions play an essential role in delivering healthcare in a timely manner.