Abstract
Auscultation of the heart and lungs is a central part of clinical care, but traditional stethoscopes have important limits. They can miss faint sounds, are affected by background noise, and cannot transmit audio for remote care. Digital stethoscopes (DS) were designed to address these issues by improving sound quality and enabling transmission. However, their use in telehealth was limited before COVID-19. A study reported mixed outcomes, with many clinicians preferring traditional devices because of concerns about sound quality, ergonomics, and workflow. The pandemic shifted this context, as remote examination became essential and DS were used in telecardiology, neonatal monitoring, and infection-control settings. Although technical studies have examined performance, the acceptance and everyday use of DS in Australia remains underexplored. This poster proposes a qualitative study using the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis 1989) to compare clinician views before and after COVID-19, and to highlight what influences their use in routine practice.
Recommended Citation
Soroush, Layla, "Comparing clinician perceptions of digital stethoscope
usage in telehealth: Insights from pre- and post-COVID
contexts" (2025). ACIS 2025 Proceedings. 260.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/acis2025/260