The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on eHealth Use in the Daily Practice and Life of Dutch-Speaking General Practitioners in Belgium: Qualitative Study With Semistructured Interviews.
COVID-19
Flemish
GPs
eHealth
impact
practice
qualitative study
semistructured interviews
Journal
JMIR formative research
ISSN: 2561-326X
Titre abrégé: JMIR Form Res
Pays: Canada
ID NLM: 101726394
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
28 Nov 2022
28 Nov 2022
Historique:
received:
11
08
2022
accepted:
04
10
2022
revised:
19
09
2022
pubmed:
19
11
2022
medline:
19
11
2022
entrez:
18
11
2022
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
The COVID-19 crisis has led to rapid and far-reaching changes in digital health care, but little is known about what, why, and how changes occurred in eHealth use in Flemish general practice during the pandemic. This study aims to understand how general practitioners (GPs) perceive and evaluate eHealth solutions and their eHealth experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study was conducted using in-depth 1-on-1 semistructured interviews with the help of an interview guide. Several areas were identified beforehand to help assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: perceptions of digital technologies in GP practices; changes in the use of these technologies during and after the COVID-19 pandemic; GPs' adaptation to digitalization, benefits, risks, and challenges of eHealth; GPs motivations to change practice; and future perspectives on eHealth. In this study, purposive sampling and snowballing methods were used. Between October 2021 and April 2022, we interviewed 15 Dutch-speaking GPs in the Flemish region via the Zoom online conferencing tool. GPs indicated that eHealth was used more frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic than before, a change that helped them reduce their workload, enabling greater accessibility to health care services and the complementary use of digital and physical consultations. Our findings suggest that physicians underwent a significant cognitive shift in their perceptions, causing them to be more open and prepared to adopt eHealth solutions. However, there remains significant doubt and uncertainty about digital literacy for certain groups, privacy, data security, reimbursement, and the burden of technical information and communication technologies (ICT) issues. The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have been a turning point for eHealth by Flemish GPs. eHealth is an essential complementary health care service that can reduce pressure on health care as well as increase health care accessibility. Sensitive aspects, such as privacy, data security, digital literacy, reimbursement, and the burden of technical ICT issues, are particularly emphasized. With our results, we can offer recommendations to health IT policymakers and developers that will help maintain the continuity of eHealth solutions beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, considering the expectations and sensitivities presented in the study.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
The COVID-19 crisis has led to rapid and far-reaching changes in digital health care, but little is known about what, why, and how changes occurred in eHealth use in Flemish general practice during the pandemic.
OBJECTIVE
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to understand how general practitioners (GPs) perceive and evaluate eHealth solutions and their eHealth experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS
METHODS
This qualitative study was conducted using in-depth 1-on-1 semistructured interviews with the help of an interview guide. Several areas were identified beforehand to help assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: perceptions of digital technologies in GP practices; changes in the use of these technologies during and after the COVID-19 pandemic; GPs' adaptation to digitalization, benefits, risks, and challenges of eHealth; GPs motivations to change practice; and future perspectives on eHealth. In this study, purposive sampling and snowballing methods were used. Between October 2021 and April 2022, we interviewed 15 Dutch-speaking GPs in the Flemish region via the Zoom online conferencing tool.
RESULTS
RESULTS
GPs indicated that eHealth was used more frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic than before, a change that helped them reduce their workload, enabling greater accessibility to health care services and the complementary use of digital and physical consultations. Our findings suggest that physicians underwent a significant cognitive shift in their perceptions, causing them to be more open and prepared to adopt eHealth solutions. However, there remains significant doubt and uncertainty about digital literacy for certain groups, privacy, data security, reimbursement, and the burden of technical information and communication technologies (ICT) issues.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have been a turning point for eHealth by Flemish GPs. eHealth is an essential complementary health care service that can reduce pressure on health care as well as increase health care accessibility. Sensitive aspects, such as privacy, data security, digital literacy, reimbursement, and the burden of technical ICT issues, are particularly emphasized. With our results, we can offer recommendations to health IT policymakers and developers that will help maintain the continuity of eHealth solutions beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, considering the expectations and sensitivities presented in the study.
Identifiants
pubmed: 36399650
pii: v6i11e41847
doi: 10.2196/41847
pmc: PMC9707615
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
e41847Informations de copyright
©Jan Ismail Yagiz, Geert Goderis. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 28.11.2022.
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