Competition or Complementarity Among Telemedicine Tools in Ambulatory Care Practice: Cross-Sectional Analysis

Our study demonstrates that telemedicine tools interact in ways that can be either complementary or competitive, depending on how their functionalities align within physicians' workflows. Videoconferencing tools, especially when integrated with electronic health record platforms, act as a central complementary component that enhances physicians' satisfaction and evaluation of care quality. In contrast, combinations lacking video capability or involving multiple nonintegrated platforms fragment workflows and increase cognitive burden. These findings emphasize the importance of designing telemedicine tool bundles that align media capabilities with clinical communication needs, thereby improving satisfaction and supporting sustainable, high-quality telemedicine practice.