Telemedicine Use and Usability for People with Disabilities in Saudi Arabia: Barriers and Enablers from Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives

Despite the growing implementation of telemedicine globally, few studies have focused on its usability with individuals with disabilities. Further, while several studies have addressed general telemedicine adoption in Saudi Arabia, few have specifically examined healthcare providers’ perspectives of telemedicine usability and its use and implementation challenges for this population. This study evaluates telemedicine usability for people with disabilities using provider-level data, offering practical insights to inform inclusive digital health policies and strategies. A cross-sectional survey of 380 healthcare providers across different healthcare facilities was conducted between October 2024 and March 2025 using a structured questionnaire derived from the original Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ) and Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8). Multivariate linear regression was applied to identify the predictors of telemedicine usability. Only 46.84% of the healthcare providers reported using telemedicine with individuals with disabilities. The overall TUQ scores indicated moderate usability. The CSQ-8 score was a strong positive predictor of telemedicine usability [β = 0.88, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.75-1.01, P < 0.001]. Providers with access to improved telehealth resources reported significantly higher usability (β = 2.35, 95% CI 0.04-4.66, P = 0.046), while those reporting a need for enhanced training had lower usability scores (β = −2.40, P = 0.061). Common barriers included internet connectivity (74%), inadequate tools (63%), and a lack of training (54%). Healthcare providers showed moderate usability of using telemedicine services with individuals with disabilities as well as moderate satisfaction with such services. This study identifies critical gaps in infrastructure, training, and system readiness that hinder effective digital care delivery for this population. Its novel contribution lies in its provider-focused, disability-specific evaluation of telemedicine in the Saudi healthcare context, offering actionable recommendations to support equitable and inclusive digital health transformation.