METHODS: Questionnaire survey was conducted from 2020-02-10 to 2020-02-20, with the combination form of convenience sampling and “Link-tracking related sampling”. We designed the questionnaires, forwarded them to individuals or WeChat group chats, and had the participants fill out the questionnaires on mobile phones, to evaluate their healthcare seeking time and intention, as well as their sense of trust towards online consultation when they had ocular discomforts or trauma.

RESULTS: Totally 458 males(51.3%)and 435 females(48.7%)responded and a total of 893 questionnaires were included. Our data shows that 26.5%, 33.3%, and 40.2% of the respondents respectively from low, medium and high risk area chose online consultation during the COVID-19 outbreak, and the hospital visiting rates were 45.1%, 30.3%, 24.6% in corresponding area. We also demonstrated that gender, age, education level, regional economic development, and the region-level risk classifications have impacts on the consultation methods of the population. Compared to females(39.3%), more males(60.7%)intended to accept online medicine, and the participants from highly developed area preferentially chose virtual medical advisory service(68.2%),while the hospital visiting rates of less developed area(65.2%)was much higher than that in developed area(34.8%). Interestingly, geographic risk level had dramatic influence on the participants' sense of trust towards online consultation.

CONCLUSION: Virtual online consultations were more favorable among Chinese population during COVID-19 outbreak, and were potential to facilitate clinician-patient communication. However, a balance should be achieved between online consultations and face-to-face communication, to avoid human-to-human coronavirus transmission, and to resolve patients' problems.