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The Assessment of Differences in Acceptance of e-Health Applications Between Physicians and Patients with Chronic Diseases

Authors:
Mariusz Duplaga

Keywords: e-health acceptance; Internet; information and telecommunication technologies; physicians; patients

Abstract:
The implementation of e-health solutions targeting patients and citizens as users is an important aspect of national policies of development of information technology infrastructure in health care in Poland. The success of these plans is related not only to political decisions but also to the response of potential users. The main objective of the study was the comparison of the level of acceptance of the use of e-health solutions for accomplishment of specific activities demonstrated by physicians and patients with chronic diseases. The analysis presented in the paper was based on the results of two surveys dedicated to the assessment of the views of medical personnel and patients on the importance of e-health in Polish health care system. The survey for physicians was performed among participants of speciality trainings in the period from November 2011 to December 2012 in Krakow, Poland. The survey for patients was carried out among the patients diagnosed with chronic disease who were hospitalized or attended ambulatory visit at three health care centers in Krakow, Poland in the period from mid-December 2011 to mid-February 2012. From 200 questionnaires distributed to physicians, 186 were returned by respondents. The questionnaires for patients were filled by 207 respondents from 230 who were approached. The level of acceptance for specific e-health applications was higher among physicians. The differences were statistically significant in case of all but one application. Interestingly, the applications with highest acceptance in both groups of respondents included online appointment with physician, access to the results of laboratory tests and access to educational resources. In conclusion, it should be stated that physicians reveal significantly higher acceptance of e-health use, but the perception of priorities among specific e-health applications is convergent between physicians and patients.

Pages: 263 to 266

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2014

Publication date: March 23, 2014

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4359

ISBN: 978-1-61208-327-8

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Dates: from March 23, 2014 to March 27, 2014