scholarly journals Attitudes of General Practitioners Toward Prescription of Mobile Health Apps: Qualitative Study

10.2196/21795 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e21795
Author(s):  
Aline Sarradon-Eck ◽  
Tiphanie Bouchez ◽  
Lola Auroy ◽  
Matthieu Schuers ◽  
David Darmon
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Data Privacy ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Patient Data ◽  
Medical Decision ◽  
Medical Liability ◽  
Medical Work ◽  
Mhealth Apps

Background Mobile health (mHealth) apps are a potential means of empowering patients, especially in the case of multimorbidity, which complicates patients’ care needs. Previous studies have shown that general practitioners (GPs) have both expectations and concerns regarding patients’ use of mHealth apps that could impact their willingness to recommend the apps to patients. Objective The aim of this qualitative study is to investigate French GPs’ attitudes toward the prescription of mHealth apps or devices aimed toward patients by analyzing GPs’ perceptions and expectations of mHealth technologies. Methods A total of 36 GPs were interviewed individually (n=20) or in a discussion group (n=16). All participants were in private practice. A qualitative analysis of each interview and focus group was conducted using grounded theory analysis. Results Considering the value assigned to mHealth apps by participants and their willingness or resistance to prescribe them, 3 groups were defined based on the attitudes or positions adopted by GPs: digital engagement (favorable attitude; mHealth apps are perceived as additional resources and complementary tools that facilitate the medical work, the follow-up care, and the monitoring of patients; and apps increase patients’ compliance and empowerment); patient protection (related to the management of patient care and fear of risks for patients, concerns about patient data privacy and security, doubt about the usefulness for empowering patients, standardization of the medical decision process, overmedicalization, risks for individual freedom, and increasing social inequalities in health); doctor protection (fear of additional tasks and burden, doubt about the actionability of patient-gathered health data, risk for medical liability, dehumanization of the patient-doctor relationship, fear of increased drug prescription, and commodification of patient data). Conclusions A deep understanding of both the expectations and fears of GPs is essential to motivate them to recommend mHealth apps to their patients. The results of this study show the need to provide appropriate education and training to enhance GPs’ digital skills. Certification of the apps by an independent authority should be encouraged to reassure physicians about ethical and data security issues. Our results highlight the need to overcome technical issues such as interoperability between data collection and medical records to limit the disruption of medical work because of data flow.

scholarly journals Attitudes of General Practitioners Toward Prescription of Mobile Health Apps: Qualitative Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline Sarradon-Eck ◽  
Tiphanie Bouchez ◽  
Lola Auroy ◽  
Matthieu Schuers ◽  
David Darmon
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Data Privacy ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Patient Data ◽  
Medical Decision ◽  
Medical Liability ◽  
Medical Work ◽  
Mhealth Apps

BACKGROUND Mobile health (mHealth) apps are a potential means of empowering patients, especially in the case of multimorbidity, which complicates patients’ care needs. Previous studies have shown that general practitioners (GPs) have both expectations and concerns regarding patients’ use of mHealth apps that could impact their willingness to recommend the apps to patients. OBJECTIVE The aim of this qualitative study is to investigate French GPs’ attitudes toward the prescription of mHealth apps or devices aimed toward patients by analyzing GPs’ perceptions and expectations of mHealth technologies. METHODS A total of 36 GPs were interviewed individually (n=20) or in a discussion group (n=16). All participants were in private practice. A qualitative analysis of each interview and focus group was conducted using grounded theory analysis. RESULTS Considering the value assigned to mHealth apps by participants and their willingness or resistance to prescribe them, 3 groups were defined based on the attitudes or positions adopted by GPs: <i>digital engagement</i> (favorable attitude; mHealth apps are perceived as additional resources and complementary tools that facilitate the medical work, the follow-up care, and the monitoring of patients; and apps increase patients’ compliance and empowerment); <i>patient protection</i> (related to the management of patient care and fear of risks for patients, concerns about patient data privacy and security, doubt about the usefulness for empowering patients, standardization of the medical decision process, overmedicalization, risks for individual freedom, and increasing social inequalities in health); <i>doctor protection</i> (fear of additional tasks and burden, doubt about the actionability of patient-gathered health data, risk for medical liability, dehumanization of the patient-doctor relationship, fear of increased drug prescription, and commodification of patient data). CONCLUSIONS A deep understanding of both the expectations and fears of GPs is essential to motivate them to recommend mHealth apps to their patients. The results of this study show the need to provide appropriate education and training to enhance GPs’ digital skills. Certification of the apps by an independent authority should be encouraged to reassure physicians about ethical and data security issues. Our results highlight the need to overcome technical issues such as interoperability between data collection and medical records to limit the disruption of medical work because of data flow.

scholarly journals Can mobile health apps replace GPs? A scoping review of comparisons between mobile apps and GP tasks

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Apichai Wattanapisit ◽  
Chin Hai Teo ◽  
Sanhapan Wattanapisit ◽  
Emylia Teoh ◽  
Wing Jun Woo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practitioners ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Disease Diagnosis ◽  
App Store ◽  
Manual Search ◽  
Google Play ◽  
Mhealth Apps

Abstract Background Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) are increasingly being used to perform tasks that are conventionally performed by general practitioners (GPs), such as those involved in promoting health, preventing disease, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and support for health services. This raises an important question: can mobile apps replace GPs? This study aimed to systematically search for and identify mobile apps that can perform GP tasks. Methods A scoping review was carried out. The Google Play Store and Apple App Store were searched for mobile apps, using search terms derived from the UK Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) guideline on GPs’ core capabilities and competencies. A manual search was also performed to identify additional apps. Results The final analysis included 17 apps from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, and 21 apps identified by the manual search. mHealth apps were found to have the potential to replace GPs for tasks such as recording medical history and making diagnoses; performing some physical examinations; supporting clinical decision making and management; assisting in urgent, long-term, and disease-specific care; and health promotion. In contrast, mHealth apps were unable to perform medical procedures, appropriately utilise other professionals, and coordinate a team-based approach. Conclusions This scoping review highlights the functions of mHealth apps that can potentially replace GP tasks. Future research should focus on assessing the performance and quality of mHealth apps in comparison with that of real doctors.

Women’s mHealth Apps: Scoping Review and Content Analysis of Privacy, Data Sharing, and Data Security Policies (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Najd Alfawzan ◽  
Markus Christen ◽  
Giovanni Spitale ◽  
Nikola Biller-Andorno
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Data Sharing ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Data Security ◽  
Data Privacy ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Security Policies ◽  
Privacy Policy ◽  
Mhealth Apps

BACKGROUND Women’s mobile health (mHealth) is a growing phenomenon in the mobile applications (apps) global market. An increasing number of women around the globe use apps with so-called female technology (femtech). Given the often private and sensitive nature of the data collected by such apps an ethical assessment from the perspective of data privacy, sharing, and security policies is warranted. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this scoping review and content analysis is to assess the privacy policy, data sharing and security policies of women’s mobile health apps current on the international market (AppStore’s on IOS system and GooglePlay’s on Android system). METHODS We reviewed 23 most popular women’s mHealth Apps on the market, we focused on publicly available apps on both Apple AppStore and GooglePlay. The 23 downloaded apps were assessed manually by two independent reviewers against mix of users’ data privacy and data sharing and security assessment criteria. RESULTS All of the 23 apps collected personal health-related data. 23 (100%) allowed behavioural tracking and 14 (61%) allowed location tracking. Only 16 apps (69.5%) displayed a privacy policy, and 12 apps (56.5%) requested consent from users, one app had a pseudo-consent. 3 apps collected data before obtaining conscnt. 20 apps (87%) shared users’ data with a third party, and for the remaining 3 apps it is not known if they shared data or not. Only 13 apps (56.5%) provided information to users about data security. CONCLUSIONS A large part of the most popular women’s mHealth apps on the market have poor data privacy, sharing, and security standards. Even though regulations exist, such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), current practices do not follow them. The failure standards of the assessed women’s mHealth apps to meet basic data privacy and security is unacceptable both ethically and legally.

EFFECTIVNESS OF SPECIFIC MOBILE HEALTH APPLICATIONS (mHEALTH-APPS)in GESTATIONAL DIABTETES MELLITUS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Eberle ◽  
Maxine Löhnert
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Health ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Clinical Parameters ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Manual Search ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Mhealth Apps ◽  
Health Applications

BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) emerges worldwide and is closely associated with short- and long-term health issues in women and their offspring, such as pregnancy and birth complications respectively comorbidities, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) as well as cardiovascular disease (CD). Against this background mobile health applications (mHealth-Apps) do open up new possibilities to improve the management of GDM clearly. OBJECTIVE Since there is – to our knowledge – no systematic literature review published, which focusses on the effectiveness of specific mHealth-Apps on clinical health-related short and long-term outcomes of mother and child, we conducted these much-needed analyses. METHODS Data sources: A systematic literature search in Medline (Pubmed), Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science was performed including full text publications since 2008 up to date. An additional manual search in references and Google Scholar was conducted subsequently. Study Eligibility Criteria: Women diagnosed with GDM using specific mHealth-Apps during pregnancy compared to control groups, which met main clinical parameters and outcomes in GDM management as well as maternity and offspring care. Study appraisal and synthesis methods: Study quality was assessed and rated “strong”, “moderate” or “weak” by using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) tool. Study results were strongly categorized by outcomes; an additional qualitative summary was assessed. Study selection: Overall, n= 114 studies were analyzed, n= 46 duplicates were removed, n=5 studies met the eligible criteria and n=1 study was assessed by manual search subsequently. In total, n=6 publications, analyzing n=408 GDM patients in the interventional and n=405 women diagnosed with GDM in the control groups, were included. These studies were divided into n=5 two-arm randomized controlled trials (RCT) and n=1 controlled clinical trial (CCT). RESULTS Distinct improvements in clinical parameters and outcomes, such as fasting blood glucoses (FBG), 2-hour postprandial blood glucoses (PBG), off target blood glucose measurements (OTBG), delivery modes and patient compliance were analyzed in GDM patients using specific mHealth-Apps compared to matched control groups. CONCLUSIONS mHealth-Apps clearly improve clinical outcomes in management of GDM effectively. More studies need to be done more in detail.

Complicated grief knowledge and practice: a qualitative study of general practitioners in Ireland

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Abiola Muhammed ◽  
Anne Dodd ◽  
Suzanne Guerin ◽  
Susan Delaney ◽  
Philip Dodd
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Complicated Grief ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Relevant Research ◽  
Loved One ◽  
Knowledge And Practice ◽  
Purposive Sample

Objective: Complicated grief is a debilitating condition that individuals may experience after losing a loved one. General practitioners (GPs) are well positioned to provide patients with support for grief-related issues. Traditionally, Irish GPs play an important role in providing patients with emotional support regarding bereavement. However, GPs have commonly reported not being aptly trained to respond to bereavement-related issues. This study explores GPs’ current knowledge of and practice regarding complicated grief. Methods: A qualitative study adopting a phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of GPs on this issue. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with a purposive sample of nine GPs (five men and four women) in Ireland. Potential participants were contacted via email and phone. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using Braun & Clarke’s (2006) model of thematic analysis. Results: GPs had limited awareness of the concept of complicated grief and were unfamiliar with relevant research. They also reported that their training was either non-existent or outdated. GPs formed their own knowledge of grief-related issues based on their intuition and experiences. For these reasons, there was not one agreed method of how to respond to grief-related issues reported by patients, though participants recognised the need for intervention, onward referral and review. Conclusions: The research highlighted that GPs felt they required training in complicated grief so that they would be better able to identify and respond to complicated grief.

scholarly journals How Do General Practitioners Conceptualise Advance Care Planning in Their Practice? A Qualitative Study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e0153747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline De Vleminck ◽  
Koen Pardon ◽  
Kim Beernaert ◽  
Dirk Houttekier ◽  
Robert Vander Stichele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Advance Care Planning ◽  
Care Planning ◽  
Advance Care

scholarly journals Considerations on requests for euthanasia or assisted suicide; a qualitative study with Dutch general practitioners

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 723-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja ten Cate ◽  
Donald G van Tol ◽  
Suzanne van de Vathorst
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Assisted Suicide

Models for Integrating Medical Acupuncture into Practice: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Physicians— Experiences

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 280-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen T Crumley
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Core Concept ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Core ◽  
Individual Physician ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Medical Acupuncture

Background Internationally, physicians are integrating medical acupuncture into their practice. Although there are some informative surveys and reviews, there are few international, exploratory studies detailing how physicians have accommodated medical acupuncture (eg, by modifying schedules, space and processes). Objective To examine how physicians integrate medical acupuncture into their practice. Methods Semi-structured interviews and participant observations of physicians practising medical acupuncture were conducted using convenience and snowball sampling. Data were analysed in NVivo and themes were developed. Despite variation, three principal models were developed to summarise the different ways that physicians integrated medical acupuncture into their practice, using the core concept of ‘helping’. Quotes were used to illustrate each model and its corresponding themes. Results There were 25 participants from 11 countries: 21 agreed to be interviewed and four engaged in participant observations. Seventy-two per cent were general practitioners. The three models were: (1) appointments (44%); (2) clinics (44%); and (3) full-time practice (24%). Some physicians held both appointments and regular clinics (models 1 and 2). Most full-time physicians initially tried appointments and/or clinics. Some physicians charged to offset administration costs or compensate for their time. Discussion Despite variation within each category, the three models encapsulated how physicians described their integration of medical acupuncture. Physicians varied in how often they administered medical acupuncture and the amount of time they spent with patients. Although 24% of physicians surveyed administered medical acupuncture full-time, most practised it part-time. Each individual physician incorporated medical acupuncture in the way that worked best for their practice.

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