Digitazion in Gynaecology and Obstetrics in times of COVID-19: Results of a national survey (Preprint)
BACKGROUND In the COVID-19 pandemic, many consultations had to be canceled, postponed or switched to a virtual format. Telemedicine in patient care management could support physicians. OBJECTIVE The study analyses the Acceptance, Use and Barriers of digital health applications (DHAs) in patients with gynecological diseases and gynecologists in Germany. METHODS This prospective cross-sectional study was based on a survey of gynaecologists and patients in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive statistics were calculated and regression analyses were performed to show correlations. RESULTS We analyzed the responses of 490 patients and 478 gynecologists. Most believed that DHAs are useful and felt confident in their own usage thereof. The majority in both groups agreed on implementing virtual visits in stable disease conditions. Only a minority (<10% in both groups) believed that digitalization has a negative impact on the patient–doctor relationship. Patients and physicians reported that their attitude had changed positively towards DHAs and that their usage had increased due to COVID-19. The most reported advantage of DHAs were usage independent of time. The main barriers were a lack of information on suitable, available DHAs and a lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of DHAs. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in the acceptance and use of DHAs by patients and gynecologists, potentially leading to a permanent paradigm shift in the treatment of gynecological conditions.