scholarly journals Patient connectivity with healthcare professionals and health insurer using digital health technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic: a German cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels Hannemann ◽  
Nina-Alexandra Götz ◽  
Lisa Schmidt ◽  
Ursula Hübner ◽  
Birgit Babitsch

Abstract Background Digital health technologies enable patients to make a personal contribution to the improvement of their health by enabling them to manage their health. In order to exploit the potential of digital health technologies, Internet-based networking between patients and health care providers is required. However, this networking and access to digital health technologies are less prevalent in sociodemographically deprived cohorts. The paper explores how the use of digital health technologies, which connect patients with health care providers and health insurers has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The data from a German-based cross-sectional online study conducted between April 29 and May 8, 2020, were used for this purpose. A total of 1.570 participants were included in the study. Accordingly, the influence of sociodemographic determinants, subjective perceptions, and personal competencies will affect the use of online booking of medical appointments and medications, video consultations with providers, and the data transmission to health insurers via an app. Results The highest level of education (OR 1.806) and the presence of a chronic illness (OR 1.706) particularly increased the likelihood of using online booking. With regard to data transmission via an app to a health insurance company, the strongest increase in the probability of use was shown by belonging to the highest subjective social status (OR 1.757) and generation Y (OR 2.303). Furthermore, the results show that the higher the subjectively perceived restriction of the subjects' life situation was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the higher the relative probability of using online booking (OR 1.103) as well as data transmission via an app to a health insurance company (OR 1.113). In addition, higher digital literacy contributes to the use of online booking (OR 1.033) and data transmission via an app to the health insurer (OR 1.034). Conclusions Socially determined differences can be identified for the likelihood of using digital technologies in health care, which persist even under restrictive conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the results indicate a digital divide with regard to the technologies investigated in this study.




2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Wang ◽  
Yan Du ◽  
Deidra Coleman ◽  
Michelle Peck ◽  
Sahiti Myneni ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND An increasing number of mobile and wearable devices are available in the market. However, the extent to which these devices can be used to assist older adults to age in place remains unclear. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess older adults’ perceptions of using mobile and connected health technologies. METHODS Using a cross-sectional design, a total of 51 participants were recruited from a senior community center. Demographics and usage of mobile or wearable devices and online health communities were collected using a survey questionnaire. Descriptive statistics assessed usage of devices and online health communities. The Fisher exact test was used to examine the relationship between technology usage and having access to a smartphone. RESULTS The sample was primarily comprised non-Hispanic white (35/51, 69%), educated (39/51, 76% any college), and female (36/51, 71%) participants, with an average age of 70 (SD 8) years. All participants were insured and nearly all lived at home (49/51, 94%). A total of 86% (44/51) of the participants had heard of wearable health devices, but only 18 out of 51 (35%) had ever used them. Over 80% (42/51) expressed interest in using such devices and were interested in tracking exercise and physical activity (46/51, 90%), sleep (38/51, 75%), blood pressure (34/51, 67%), diet (31/51, 61%), blood sugar (28/51, 55%), weight (26/51, 51%), and fall risk (23/51, 45%). The greatest concerns about using wearable devices were cost (31/51, 61%), safety (14/51, 28%), and privacy (13/51, 26%); one-fourth (12/51) reported having no concerns. They were mostly interested in sharing data from mobile and connected devices with their health care providers followed by family, online communities, friends, and no one. About 41% (21/51) of the older adults surveyed reported having ever heard of an online health community, and roughly 40% (20/51) of the participants reported being interested in joining such a community. Most participants reported having access to a smartphone (38/51, 74%), and those with such access were significantly more likely to show interest in using a wearable health device (P<.001) and joining an online health community (P=.05). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that, although few older adults are currently using mobile and wearable devices and connected health technologies for managing health, they are open to this idea and are mostly interested in sharing such data with their health care providers. Further studies are warranted to explore strategies to balance the data sharing preference of older adults and how to best integrate mobile and wearable device data with clinical workflow for health care providers to promote healthy aging in place.



2021 ◽  
pp. 1096-1105
Author(s):  
Sundar Jagannath ◽  
Joseph Mikhael ◽  
Omar Nadeem ◽  
Noopur Raje

Multiple myeloma (MM) is associated with the highest symptom burden and lowest health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with hematologic malignancies. HRQoL in MM is heterogeneous, varying over the course of disease, with the highest burden at diagnosis and relapse. Patients with MM are increasingly being treated with oral maintenance medications at home. As a result, longitudinal monitoring of medication adherence and patient-reported outcomes, including HRQoL, could inform on disease status, therapeutic tolerability, and satisfaction with care. Digital health technologies, including telemedicine, mobile health, and wearable devices, are poised to become an integral part of modern health care, in part due to the surge in telemedicine necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the literature has many reports on the use of digital health technologies in other types of cancers, fewer studies report on their application to MM. In the current narrative review, we survey the applications of digital health for MM. Although there is evidence that some are associated with improved health outcomes, challenges exist that must be met to ensure more widespread adoption. These include the need for increased awareness by patients and health care providers, lack of access by the typical older patient with MM, absence of randomized clinical trials, and low integration with current workflows such as electronic health records. Following our summary of technologies that could benefit patients with MM, we end by describing our vision for how they can be integrated into each phase of the patient journey.





2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 346-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Webber ◽  
N Edwards ◽  
I D Graham ◽  
C Amaratunga ◽  
I Gaboury ◽  
...  

Cambodia has one of the highest prevalence rates of HIV in Asia and is scaling up HIV testing. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 358 health care providers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia to assess readiness for voluntary testing and counselling for HIV. We measured HIV knowledge and attitudes, and predictors of intentions to take a sexual history using the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Over 90% of health care providers correctly answered knowledge questions about HIV transmission, but their attitudes were often not positive towards people living with HIV. The Theory of Planned Behaviour constructs explained 56% of the variance in intention to take a sexual history: the control providers perceive they have over taking a sexual history was the strongest contributor (51%), while social pressure explained a further 3%. Attitudes about taking a sexual history did not contribute to intention. Interventions with Cambodian health care providers should focus on improving skills in sexual history-taking.



2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Kalyango ◽  
Rornald Muhumuza Kananura ◽  
Elizabeth Ekirapa Kiracho

Abstract Introduction Uganda is in discussions to introduce a national health insurance scheme. However, there is a paucity of information on household preferences and willingness to pay for health insurance attributes that may guide the design of an acceptable health insurance scheme. Our study sought to assess household preferences and willingness to pay for health insurance in Kampala city using a discrete choice experiment. Methods This study was conducted from 16th February 2020 to 10th April 2020 on 240 households in the Kawempe division of Kampala city stratified into slum and non-slum communities in order to get a representative sample of the area. We purposively selected the communities that represented slum and non-slum communities and thereafter applied systematic sampling in the selection of the households that participated in the study from each of the communities. Four household and policy-relevant attributes were used in the experimental design of the study. Each respondent attended to 9 binary choice sets of health insurance plans that included one fixed choice set. Data were analyzed using mixed logit models. Results Households in both the non-slum and slum communities had a high preference for health insurance plans that included both private and public health care providers as compared to plans that included public health care providers only (non-slum coefficient β = 0.81, P < 0.05; slum β = 0.87, p < 0.05) and; health insurance plans that covered extended family members as compared to plans that had limitations on the number of family members allowed (non-slum β = 0.44, P < 0.05; slum β = 0.36, p < 0.05). Households in non-slum communities, in particular, had a high preference for health insurance plans that covered chronic illnesses and major surgeries to other plans (0.97 β, P < 0.05). Our findings suggest that location of the household influences willingness to pay with households from non-slum communities willing to pay more for the preferred attributes. Conclusion Potential health insurance schemes should consider including both private and public health care providers and allow more household members to be enrolled in both slum and non-slum communities. However, the inclusion of more HH members should be weighed against the possible depletion of resources and other attributes. Potential health insurance schemes should also prioritize coverage for chronic illnesses and major surgeries in non-slum communities, in particular, to make the scheme attractive and acceptable for these communities.



2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e4
Author(s):  
Chelsea L. Ratcliff ◽  
Melinda Krakow ◽  
Alexandra Greenberg-Worisek ◽  
Bradford W. Hesse

Objectives. To examine prevalence and predictors of digital health engagement among the US population. Methods. We analyzed nationally representative cross-sectional data on 7 digital health engagement behaviors, as well as demographic and socioeconomic predictors, from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5, cycle 2, collected in 2018; n = 2698–3504). We fitted multivariable logistic regression models using weighted survey responses to generate population estimates. Results. Digitally seeking health information (70.14%) was relatively common, whereas using health apps (39.53%) and using a digital device to track health metrics (35.37%) or health goal progress (38.99%) were less common. Digitally communicating with one’s health care providers (35.58%) was moderate, whereas sharing health data with providers (17.20%) and sharing health information on social media (14.02%) were uncommon. Being female, younger than 65 years, a college graduate, and a smart device owner positively predicted several digital health engagement behaviors (odds ratio range = 0.09–4.21; P value range < .001–.03). Conclusions. Many public health goals depend on a digitally engaged populace. These data highlight potential barriers to 7 key digital engagement behaviors that could be targeted for intervention. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print May 20, 2021: e1–e4. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306282 )



2021 ◽  
pp. 141-151
Author(s):  
Paweł Lipowski

The aim of this study is to identify the legal characteristics of contracts for the health care services provided by a public payer, i.e. the National Health Fund (NFZ) as part of treatment covered by universal health insurance, as compared to those provided by the health care providers with public or private legal status. This issue is discussed in relation to the legal conditions for the treatment of patients on a commercial basis in those institutions (private or public) which have contracts for the provision of healthcare services under the general health insurance (so-called contracts). The discussion is presented based on author’s own observations, resulting both from his scientific studies in the field of medical law and his work in various entities operating in the health care system.



2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zobaer Alam ◽  
Md Monoarul Haque ◽  
Md Rijwan Bhuiyan ◽  
Md Shahinoor Islam ◽  
Monirul Haque ◽  
...  

Background: The burden of childhood disability as a public health problem in developing countries remains relatively unrecognized. One out of 750 children born in the world suffer from club foot among them 80% are in low and middle income countries. Most of these babies have limited access to receive effective treatment for their clubfoot due to lack o knowledge, awareness and some barriers. We actually don’t know the level of knowledge of parents who have child with clubfoot deformity. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of knowledge of parents who have children with clubfoot during clubfoot treatment. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among 102 parents who have children with clubfoot deformity during its treatment in a selected clinic. The samples were selected purposively from the clinics where clubfoot treatment was given and face to face interview was done by using semi-structured questionnaire. Results: The mean (±SD) age of the respondents were 24.7 (±6.0) years where 87.3% (n=89) respondents ware female and 59.8 %(n=61) respondent’s educational status ware up to primary level. About 44.1% respondents started treatment of their child within 6 months of birth and 33% within 6 to 12 months where 57% (n=58) respondents are referred by health care professional to this clinics. About 93.1% of parents (n=95) said that they knew nothing about clubfoot deformity before their child was diagnosed where 97% are aware after diagnosis of their child. About 93.1% respondents knew the best time for treatment initiation where 59.8% respondents know the correct follow up time of clubfoot management. In case of knowledge of parents’ roles in the treatment of clubfoot about 91.2%, parents have knowledge weekly visit for treatment and 86.3% know the plaster care where 52.9% (n=54) parents have lack of knowledge about how to use the brace Conclusion: There is need to improve the communication skills of clinicians/health care providers offering treatment to children with clubfoot at the Clinics. Need to share information with the parents about the condition. Finally, there is need to emphasize of educating parents about plaster care and how to use brace. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/cmoshmcj.v14i1.22882 Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.14 (1); Jan 2015; Page 42-46



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