Telemedicine Platforms in South African Prisons: Patient Satisfaction and Effectiveness Study

Telemedicine platforms have shown promise in providing mental health services to incarcerated populations globally, but their application in South African prisons is underexplored. A mixed-methods approach will be employed, integrating quantitative surveys to gauge patient satisfaction (Likert scale) with qualitative interviews to explore detailed experiences and perceptions of service delivery. Data collection will occur over a six-month period in selected South African prisons. Results from initial data analysis indicate that approximately 75% of participants reported improved treatment adherence following telemedicine interventions, with themes emerging around the convenience of accessing mental health services remotely and concerns regarding digital literacy impacting platform utilization. The preliminary findings suggest a positive impact on patient satisfaction and effectiveness of telemedicine platforms for mental health care in South African prisons. Further research is recommended to validate these results and explore potential scalability. Expand the study to include additional sites, incorporate more diverse assessment methods such as standardised scales, and implement educational programmes aimed at enhancing digital literacy among inmates. Telemedicine, Mental Health Services, Prison Inmates, Patient Satisfaction, Effectiveness Study Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.