scholarly journals Use of digital healthcare solutions for care delivery during a pandemic-chances and (cyber) risks referring to the example of the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Klaus Kaiser ◽  
Marcus Wiens ◽  
Frank Schultmann
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Process Model ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Service Provisioning ◽  
Medical Disciplines ◽  
Digital Healthcare ◽  
Health Applications

AbstractDuring pandemics, regular service provisioning processes in medical care may be disrupted. Digital health promises many opportunities for service provisioning during a pandemic. However, a broad penetration of medical processes with information technology also has drawbacks. Within this work, the authors use the COVID-19 pandemic to analyze the chances and the risks that may come with using digital health solutions for medical care during a pandemic. Therefore, a multi-methods approach is used. First we use a systematic literature review for reviewing the state of the art of digital health applications in healthcare. Furthermore, the usage of digital health applications is mapped to the different processes in care delivery. Here we provide an exemplary process model of oncological care delivery. The analysis shows that including digital health solutions may be helpful for care delivery in most processes of medical care provisioning. However, research on digital health solutions focuses strongly on some few processes and specific disciplines while other processes and medical disciplines are underrepresented in literature. Last, we highlight the necessity of a comprehensive risk-related debate around the effects that come with the use of digital healthcare solutions.

Digital Divide and E-Health Implications for E-Collaboration Research

2011 ◽  
pp. 1574-1580
Author(s):  
Michele Masucci
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Collaborative Tools ◽  
Specialized Care ◽  
Health Care Delivery Systems ◽  
Health Applications

E-health has rapidly gained attention as a framework for understanding the relationship between using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to promote individual and community health, and using ICTs for improving the management of health care delivery systems. The use of e-collaborative tools is implicit to the delivery and access of e-health. Development of the capacity to transmit and receive digital diagnostic images, use video telecommunications for supporting the remote delivery of specialized care and surgical procedures, and the use of e-communication technologies to support logistical elements of medical care (such as scheduling appointments, filling prescriptions, and responding to patient questions) are just a few ways in which e-communications are transforming how medical care is embedded within institutional, organizational, family, and community settings. The emerging field of e-collaboration focuses attention on the need for society to critically examine how electronic communication technologies facilitate, shape, and transform the ways in which organizations, groups, and communities interact. There are many works that explain how to (a) develop e-health systems, (b) assess the use of such systems, and (c) analyze the health outcomes that can be achieved with effective e-health applications (Brodie et al., 2000; Eder, 2000; Spil & Schuring, 2006). Less attention has been paid to how advances in e-collaboration research might inform e-health applications development and scholarly discourse. Because of this gap in the literature, few discussions pertain to understanding patient perspectives about the advantages and disadvantages that may result from rapidly emerging interconnections among access to health care, health information, health support systems, and ICTs (Berland et al., 2001; Hesse et al., 2005; Gibbons, 2005; Gilbert & Masucci, 2006).

scholarly journals Towards reimbursement of mobile digital health applications? An international comparison of practices

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Degelsegger-Márquez ◽  
D Panteli
Keyword(s):  
Business Models ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Care Processes ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Mobile Health Apps ◽  
Global Nature ◽  
Digital Healthcare ◽  
Health Applications

Abstract Background The hitherto largely unregulated market of mobile digital health applications is undergoing significant changes, particularly concerning the growing segment of apps that aim at integrating care processes or replacing traditional forms of diagnosis or therapy. The inclusion in the benefit basket of statutory health systems is of relevance when exploring viable business models for app developers. Description of the problem So far, countries largely limit coverage to apps developed by authorities within the statutory health system, or provide guidance for payers in the form of app lists or quality assessment criteria. However, there are new regulatory efforts aiming to promote innovation for mobile digital health applications by creating pathways to general reimbursement, as exemplified by the 2019 German Digital Healthcare Act. Results Our contribution illustrates how evidence-based reimbursement decisions can be configured for mobile digital health applications. We will compare frameworks from different contexts, including the new German regulation, the UK's NHS App Store and the Evidence Standards Framework for Digital Health by NICE as well as the work of the French National Health Authority (Haute Autorité de Santé). Building on case studies, we will provide a typology of practices, which covers elements spanning consumer guidance to assessment approaches to full reimbursement decision-making. Conclusions Based on the proposed typology, we will discuss challenges and opportunities of reimbursement systems for mobile health apps from a public health perspective and seek to refine the typology by incorporating input from session participants and profiting from the global nature of the conference.

scholarly journals Use of e-health in general practices during the covid-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelle Keuper
Keyword(s):  
Care Delivery ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Web Surveys ◽  
Remote Healthcare ◽  
General Practices ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Digital Processes ◽  
Video Calling ◽  
Health Application ◽  
Health Applications

Background and purpose – The covid-19 pandemic has forced general practices to look for ways to deliver care safely, by the use of remote healthcare solutions such as e-health. The aim of this study is to investigate the use of e-health in general practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, and theintention of general practices to continue using e-health tools more intensively in the near future. Methods – Web surveys were sent to all Dutch general practices at two moments during the pandemic: in April 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic in the Netherlands, and in July 2020, between the first and second wave, when infection numbers were lower. The surveys contained questions on the use of specific e-health tools, including e-consultations and video calling. Results – 75%of the general practices indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic caused them to start using e-health applications or made them to intensify these in April 2020. In July 2020, almost all practices indicated that they used at least one e-health application (98%). Online prescriptions ordering service and e-consultations were used by more than 80% of all practices. However, a minority of practices (<33%) answered that they intend to use (new) e-health applications more intensively after the pandemic. Some significant differences were found in the use of specific e-health applications between different practice types. Conclusions – This study confirms the expectation that there was an increased uptake of e-health applications in Dutch general practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The relative low number of practices that intend to sustain the increased usage of e-health in their practice in the future may point towards a temporary uptake of digital health care delivery, rather than accelerated implementation of digital processes.

The Digitisation of Healthcare in a Global Pandemic

2022 ◽  
pp. 55-71
Author(s):  
Siobhan Eithne McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Data Privacy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Health Anxiety ◽  
Healthcare Quality ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Patient Portals ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Digital Healthcare

The chapter discusses the rapid digitisation of healthcare during the COVID-19 global crisis and its implications for healthcare quality from patient, clinician, and provider perspectives. Using the example of patient portals, online interfaces that provide patients with real-time access to their health records, the chapter explores how this large-scale shift to digital healthcare has influenced key elements of healthcare quality. These elements include the safety, timeliness, effectiveness, efficiency, equity, eco-friendliness, and person-centeredness of care delivery, as well as patient and staff well-being. The discussion addresses health anxiety exacerbated by remote service delivery and potential associations with cyberchondria and online search behaviours. Additionally, concerns about digital health literacy, equality of access, patient data privacy, and cybersecurity are discussed in the context of increasing health system shocks. Recommendations are made about how the future adaptation of digital healthcare can support healthcare quality in a post-pandemic era.

Medical Care for Children with Cancer in the Donetsk People’s Republic: Results of an Ecological Study in 2014–2017

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 145-154
Author(s):  
M. Yu. Rykov ◽  
I. N. Inozemtsev ◽  
S. A. Kolomenskaya
Keyword(s):  
Medical Care ◽  
Pediatric Patient ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Medical Service ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Benign Tumors ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Malignant Neoplasms ◽  
Children With Cancer ◽  
Patient Capacity

Background.Analysis of medical care delivery for children with cancer in armed conflict is highly important because the high-tech treatment in this context is extraordinary difficult and challenging task. Objective. Our aim was to analyze the morbidity and mortality rates in children with malignant tumors, to assess the pediatric patient capacity and medical service density in the Donetsk People’s Republic.Methods.The ecological study was conducted where the units of analysis were represented by the aggregated data of the Republican Cancer Registry on the number of primary and secondary patients with malignant and benign tumors, the deceased patients in the DNR in 2014–2017, pediatric patient capacity, and medical service density.Results.The number of pediatric patient capacity for children with cancer was 10 (0.27 per 10,000 children aged 0–17), pediatric patient capacity for children with hematological disorders — 40 (1.37 per 10,000 children aged 0–17). The treatment of children with cancer was performed by 5 healthcare providers: 1 pediatric oncologist (0.02 per 10,000 children aged 0–17), 3 hematologists (0.08 per 10,000 pediatric population aged 0–17), and 1 practitioner who did not have a specialist certificate in oncology. Morbidity rate for malignant neoplasms from 2014 to 2017 decreased by 25% (in 2014 — 9.6 per 10,000 children aged 0–17; in 2017 — 7.2). In the morbidity structure, the incidence proportion of hemoblastoses was 68.4%, brain tumors — 2.6%, other solid tumors — 29%. The death rate due to malignant neoplasms decreased by 37% (in 2014 — 2.7; in 2017 — 1.7).Conclusion.Low levels of the incidence rate and pattern of morbidity indicate defects in the identification and recording of patients. This explains the performance of the bed: low average bed occupancy per year and low turnover. For a reliable analysis of mortality statistical data is not available: in 2014–2015 only the number of in-hospital deceased patients is presented. Limited data is due to the lack of reliable patient catamnesis which is explained by the high rate of population migration. 

Healthcare apps on smartphones available in Brazil: a preliminary classification (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
André De Faria Pereira Neto ◽  
Leticia Barbosa ◽  
Rodolfo Paolucci
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Disease Prevention ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
World Health ◽  
Computing Device ◽  
Care Treatment ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Applications

UNSTRUCTURED Billions of people in the world own a smartphone. It is a low-cost, portable computing device with countless features, among which applications stand out, which are programs or software developed to meet a specific goal. A wide range of applications available ranging from entertainment and personal organization to work and education is available currently. It is a vast and profitable market. Health applications have been a means of intervention for different areas, including chronic diseases, epidemics, and health emergencies. A recently published paper in the journal with the highest impact factor in Digital Health (“Journal of Medical Internet Research”) proposes a classification of health applications. This study performs a critical analysis of this organization and presents other sort criteria. This paper also presents and analyzes the “Meu Info Saúde” (“My Health Info”) app – a pioneering government initiative focused on primary care launched by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. The application classification proposal that will be presented builds on the intervention strategies in the health-disease process, namely: “Health Promotion”, “Disease Prevention” and “Care, Treatment and Rehabilitation”, as defined by official documents such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most applications present in the sample are of private and foreign origin, free to download, but with a display of ads or the sale of products and services. The sampled applications were classified as “Health Promotion”, and some applications have also been categorized as “Disease Prevention” or “Care, Treatment or Rehabilitation” because they have multiple functionalities. The applications identified as “Health Promotion” focused only on individuals’ lifestyle and their increased autonomy and self-care management capacity. From this perspective, the apps analyzed in this paper differ from the “Meu Info-Saúde” application developed at Fiocruz.

Effectiveness of Digital Health Interventions on Unintentional Injury, Violence, and Suicide: Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
pp. 152483802096734
Author(s):  
Mengtong Chen ◽  
Ko Ling Chan
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Unintentional Injury ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Face To Face

Digital technologies are increasingly used in health-care delivery and are being introduced into work to prevent unintentional injury, violence, and suicide to reduce mortality. To understand the potential of digital health interventions (DHIs) to prevent and reduce these problems, we conduct a meta-analysis and provide an overview of their effectiveness and characteristics related to the effects. We searched electronic databases and reference lists of relevant reviews to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in or before March 2020 evaluating DHIs on injury, violence, or suicide reduction. Based on the 34 RCT studies included in the meta-analysis, the overall random effect size was 0.21, and the effect sizes for reducing suicidal ideation, interpersonal violence, and unintentional injury were 0.17, 0.24, and 0.31, respectively, which can be regarded as comparable to the effect sizes of traditional face-to-face interventions. However, there was considerable heterogeneity between the studies. In conclusion, DHIs have great potential to reduce unintentional injury, violence, and suicide. Future research should explore DHIs’ successful components to facilitate future implementation and wider access.

scholarly journals The Psychosocial Implications of Managing Work and Family Caregiving Roles: Gender Differences Among Information Technology Professionals

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 1495-1519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole DePasquale ◽  
Courtney A. Polenick ◽  
Kelly D. Davis ◽  
Phyllis Moen ◽  
Leslie B. Hammer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Psychosocial Functioning ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Process Model ◽  
White Collar ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Child Caregiving ◽  
Caregiving Roles

An increasing number of adults, both men and women, are simultaneously managing work and family caregiving roles. Guided by the stress process model, we investigate whether 823 employees occupying diverse family caregiving roles (child caregiving only, elder caregiving only, and both child caregiving and elder caregiving, or “sandwiched” caregiving) and their noncaregiving counterparts in the information technology division of a white-collar organization differ on several indicators of psychosocial stress along with gender differences in stress exposure. Compared with noncaregivers, child caregivers reported more perceived stress and partner strain whereas elder caregivers reported greater perceived stress and psychological distress. With the exception of work-to-family conflict, sandwiched caregivers reported poorer overall psychosocial functioning. Additionally, sandwiched women reported more family-to-work conflict and less partner support than their male counterparts. Further research on the implications of combining a white-collar employment role with different family caregiving roles is warranted.

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