Which strategies might improve local primary healthcare in Germany? An explorative study from a local government point of view

Patient and carer experiences of hospital-based hybrid virtual medical care: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

To understand patients' and carers' experiences of virtual medical care delivered into rural and remote hospitals.

STUDY DESIGN

Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews.

SETTING, PARTICIPANTS

Interviews were conducted between 7 June 2022 and 21 February 2023. Participants were people who had received a virtual medical service from the Virtual Rural Generalist Service (VRGS), and their carers, in rural and remote hospitals within the Western NSW Local Health District.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Acceptability of, access to, quality of and appropriateness of care provided by the VRGS.

RESULTS

We interviewed 43 patients and carers about their experiences of VRGS services received in an emergency department or inpatient setting. About half of our participants thought that virtual medical care (supported by in-person nursing staff) was highly acceptable and equivalent to in-person care. For the remaining participants, virtual care was seen as being an acceptable alternative if in-person care was not available. Patients reported that the model met their immediate needs, even if the virtual delivery mode was not their preference. VRGS doctors were generally seen as skilled and personable, and acceptability of virtual care increased with more experience of it. A key perceived benefit of virtual care was increased access to medical care without the need to travel long distances. Hospital-based virtual care was not considered less appropriate for older adults or children.

CONCLUSIONS

Virtual care in a rural hospital setting, such as that delivered by the VRGS, is broadly acceptable to patients and carers. While most would prefer to have a doctor physically present, patients and carers are accepting of the need for virtual care to supplement in-person care in rural and remote areas. Patients and carers who experience hospital-based virtual care perceive that it can provide good quality medical care and meet many of their needs.

Improving the introduction of telemedicine in pre-hospital emergency medicine: understanding users and how acceptability, usability and effectiveness influence this process

INTRODUCTION

Increasing numbers of ambulance calls, vacant positions and growing workloads in Emergency Medicine (EM) are increasing the pressure to find adequate solutions. With telemedicine providing health-care services by bridging large distances, connecting remote providers and even patients while using modern communication technologies, such a technology seems beneficial. As the process of developing an optimal solution is challenging, a need to quantify involved processes could improve implementation. Existing models are based on qualitative studies although standardised questionnaires for factors such as Usability, Acceptability and Effectiveness exist.

METHODS

A survey was provided to participants within a German county. It was based on telemedical surveys, the System Usabilty Scale (SUS) and earlier works describing Usability, Acceptability and Effectiveness. Meanwhile a telemedical system was introduced in the investigated county. A comparison between user-groups aswell as an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed.

RESULTS

Of n = 91 included participants n = 73 (80,2%) were qualified as emergency medical staff (including paramedics n = 36 (39,56%), EMTs n = 28 (30,77%), call handlers n = 9 (9,89%)) and n = 18 (19,8%) as emergency physicians. Most participants approved that telemedicine positively impacts EM and improved treatment options with an overall Usabilty Score of 68,68. EFA provided a 3-factor solution involving Usability, Acceptability and Effectiveness.

DISCUSSION

With our results being comparable to earlier studies but telemedicine only having being sparsely introduced, a positive attitude could still be attested. While our model describes 51,28% of the underlying factors, more research is needed to identify further influences. We showed that Usability is correlated with Acceptability (strong effect), Usability and Effectiveness with a medium effect, likewise Acceptability and Effectiveness. Therefore available systems need to improve. Our approach can be a guide for decision makers and developers, that a focus during implementation must be on improving usability and on a valid data driven implementation process.

[How to Motivate Medical Students to Practice in Rural Areas]

BACKGROUND

The excellent project "LandArztMacher" is an attempt to work against the predicted shortage of rural doctors in Germany with diverse approaches.

METHOD

"LandArztMacher" is a clinical traineeship with four weeks of practical training in general practices and clinics in the Bavarian countryside, accompanied by joint professional teaching. Participants were asked before and after the internship about the topics "importance of an internship in rural areas"; "attractiveness of rural areas" (scale: 0/no agreement to 10/full agreement). Ideas about the tasks of a general practitioner were assessed (scale: 0/no idea at all to 100/exact idea). The present study is a repeated cross-sectional study. The median is reported as the location measure and the interquartile range as the dispersion measure.

RESULTS

Participants (n=363, 74% female, n=267, age: range 19-46 years, mean: 23.2 years, SD: 2.41 years) from the clinical section of the medical studies considered an internship in the rural area before and after the internship very important (median: 8 and 9, respectively) and could well imagine working in the countryside (median: 7 and 8, respectively). Their attitude towards the cultural offerings or the infrastructure did not change (median: 6 in each case). After the internship, the students had a more precise idea of what a general practitioner tasks are (median: 65 and 90, respectively).

SUMMARY

A well-structured four-week rural internship can enhance the appeal of future rural employment through individual supervision and collaborative training.

Characteristics of Medical Deserts and Approaches to Mitigate Their Health Workforce Issues: A Scoping Review of Empirical Studies in Western Countries

BACKGROUND

Medical deserts are considered a problematic issue for many Western countries which try to employ multitude of policies and initiatives to achieve a better distribution of their health workforce (HWF). The aim of this study was to systematically map research and provide an overview of definitions, characteristics, contributing factors and approaches to mitigate medical deserts within the European Union (EU)-funded project "ROUTE-HWF" (a Roadmap OUT of mEdical deserts into supportive Health WorkForce initiatives and policies).

METHODS

We performed a scoping review to identify knowledge clusters/research gaps in the field of medical deserts focusing on HWF issues. Six databases were searched till June 2021. Studies reporting primary research from Western countries on definitions, characteristics, contributing factors, and approaches were included. Two independent reviewers assessed studies for eligibility, extracted data and clustered studies according to the four defined outcomes.

RESULTS

Two-hundred and forty studies were included (n=116, 48% Australia/New Zealand; n=105, 44% North America; n=20, 8% Europe). All used observational designs except for five quasi-experimental studies. Studies provided definitions (n=171, 71%), characteristics (n=95, 40%), contributing factors (n=112, 47%), and approaches to mitigate medical deserts (n=87, 36%). Most medical deserts were defined by the density of the population in an area. Contributing factors to HWF issues in medical deserts consisted in work-related (n=55, 23%) and lifestyle-related factors (n=33, 14%) of the HWF as well as sociodemographic characteristics (n=79, 33%). Approaches to mitigate them focused on training adapted to the scope of rural practice (n=67, 28%), HWF distribution (n=3, 1%), support/infrastructure (n=8, 3%) and innovative models of care (n=7, 3%).

CONCLUSION

Our study provides the first scoping review that presents and categorizes definitions, characteristics, contributing factors, and approaches to mitigate HWF issues in medical deserts. We identified gaps such as the scarcity of longitudinal studies to investigate the impact of factors contributing to medical deserts, and interventional studies to evaluate the effectiveness of approaches to mitigate HWF issues.

Experiences with the quality of telemedical care in an offshore setting - a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

The evaluation and the improvement of the quality of telemedical care become increasingly important in times where this type of care is offered to a broad number of patients more and more. As telemedical care in an offshore setting has already been in use for decades, analyzing the extensive experience of offshore paramedics using telemedical care can help identify determinants of quality. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore determinants of the quality of telemedical care using the experiences of experienced offshore paramedics.

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative analysis of 22 semi-structured interviews with experienced offshore paramedics. The results were categorized in a hierarchical category system using content analysis as described by Mayring.

RESULTS

All 22 participants were males, having a mean of 3.9 years of experience working with telemedicine support offshore. Generally, participants stated that for them telemedical interaction did not differ much from personal interaction. However, the offshore paramedics personality and way to communicate were mentioned to impact the quality of telemedical care as it influenced the way cases were presented. Furthermore, interviewees described it to be impossible to use telemedicine in cases of an emergency as it was too time-consuming, technically too complex, and lead to cognitive overload as other tasks with higher priority needed their attention. Three determinants of a successful consultation were mentioned: low levels of complexity in the reason for consultation, telemedical guidance training for the teleconsultant physician and for the delegatee.

CONCLUSION

Appropriate indications for telemedical consultation, communication training of consultation partners, and the impact of personality need to be addressed to enhance the quality of future telemedical care.

Factors promoting willingness to practice medicine in rural regions and awareness of rural regions in the university's catchment area - cross-sectional survey among medical students in central Germany

Aim

Many universities offer rural medical internships for medical students. The present survey was designed to show how rural medical work is perceived by students, whether these perceptions are associated with origin and previous experience, and how well medical students know rural regions in the vicinity of their university. In addition, students were asked how to support and inspire medical students to later work in a rural region.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was based on an anonymous online survey of medical students at the Universities of Halle-Wittenberg and Leipzig. The evaluations included descriptive statistics, statistical group comparisons, and qualitative content analysis of free text answers.

Results

A total of 882 students took part in the survey. Students who had grown up in a rural region or had lived there for a longer time (71.7% of the respondents) rated the work-life balance better (p<0.01) and the patient variety in the countryside slightly higher (p<0.05) than their fellow students from the big city. Students who had worked in a rural practice or hospital before (62.2%) rated patient diversity (p<0.001) and work variety (p<0.001), as well as workload (p<0.01), slightly higher in rural areas than students with no prior experience. On average, the specified rural model regions were still unknown to more than 60% of the students. The suggestions for attracting medical students to later work as rural physicians included financial incentives and, above all, better information about life as a rural physician and the rural regions.

Conclusion

Thus, the medical faculties of the universities as well as the counties threatened by medical undersupply should further expand the transfer of knowledge and experience regarding rural physician life for the students.

[Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Online Use of Video Consultation by General Practitioners in Germany - a Secondary Data Analysis of German Health Insurance Data]

BACKGROUND

In order to manage the Covid-19 pandemic in Germany in March 2020, the government implemented non-pharmaceutical interventions including school closures, case-based measures, social distancing, and a ban of all public events. Under these circumstances, professional societies and associations in the healthcare sector recommended the use of video consultations. The objective of this analysis was to generate statistically relevant insights into the use of video consultations before and during the Covid-19 pandemic METHODS: This study is based on the analysis of a comprehensive claims data set comprising anonymized data of 5.6 million beneficiaries of a large German health insurance fund. The dataset encompassed healthcare claims from 1 January 2019 to 30 June 2020 covering 29,464,913 patient contacts. The claims were divided into video consultations and face-to-face consultations. This paper presents descriptive statistics and analyses associations between variables.

RESULTS

In 8,077 out of all contacts, a video consultation had taken place. This translates into 3.12 of 10,000 contacts. There was no significant difference in the utilization of video consultations by gender. However, the age differed significantly (Chi-square:2280.01, Sig: 0.000) between the contacts with or without use of video consultation. There is a significant increase of up to 27 times the use of video consultation in the first lockdown compared to the same month in 2019.

CONCLUSIONS

Apparent higher usage of telemedicine by patients in the age group 50 to 64 years and the very low usage in the group of 65 to 74 years shows that the use of video consultation is age sensitive and should be subject to goal-oriented implementation of telemedical offers. The observed increase, however, is small relative to the total number of patient contacts and is not significant. Thus, there is no evidence in this large dataset to support the claim that video consultation had risen dramatically through the Covid-19 pandemic. Qualitative research to determine the factors for patients and general practitioners that lead to or hinder the use of video consultation should help in addressing the slow digitalization in the outpatient sector in Germany.

Evaluation of Synchronous and Asynchronous Telemedical Applications in Primary Care in Rural Regions of Northern Germany-Results and Lessons Learned from a Pilot Study

(1) Background: Telemedical applications (TAs) that are centered around General practitioners' (GP) practices could be beneficial for patients in rural areas in order to better their access to care. This could become more and more relevant as specialists favor practicing in more urban regions, leaving GPs as the first medical contact of patients in rural areas. (2) Methods: Three TAs, one synchronous, one asynchronous and one used in delegation were implemented and evaluated in ten GP practices and two specialists' practices in rural areas of northern Germany. (3) Results: Overall satisfaction with the TAs was generally high. GPs as well as specialists were especially satisfied with asynchronous TAs. A number of valuable "Lesson learned" were obtained and can be used as recommendations for further studies, e.g., taking time to identify market-ready technologies prior to implementation, developing dedicated trainings for users, and preparation of a technical support plan. Overall, the benefits of the TAs were rated high for the patients by the medical professionals. (4) Conclusion: Especially asynchronous TAs that are based on existing technology can be successfully implemented into a developing digital health care system such as the one in Germany. The impact on treatment of those TAs needs to be further investigated.

Development of a performance measurement system for general practitioners' office in China's primary healthcare

BACKGROUND

General practitioners are the main providers of primary care services. To better strengthen the important role of general practitioners in primary healthcare services, China is promoting the general practitioners' office system. There is a lack of well-accepted methods to measure the performance of general practitioner offices in China. We thus aim to develop a systematic and operable performance measurement system for evaluating the general practitioner's office.

METHODS

We establish an index pool of the performance measurement system of general practitioners' offices by a cross-sectional study and the literature research method and adopt the focus group method to establish the preliminary system. The Delphi method is then used to conduct three rounds of consultation to modify indices, which aims to form the final indicator system. We determine the weight of each index by the analytic hierarchy process method, which together with the final indicator system constitutes the final performance measurement system. Finally, we select three offices from three different cities in Sichuan Province, China, as case offices to conduct the case study, aiming to assess its credibility.

RESULTS

Our results show that the first office scored 958.5 points, the second scored 768.1 points, and the third scored 947.7 points, which corresponds to the reality of these three offices, meaning that the performance measurement system is effective and manoeuvrable.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides support for standardizing the functions of China's general practitioner's office, improving the health service quality of generalists, and providing a theoretical basis for the standardization of the general practitioner's office.

Mobile primary healthcare for post-COVID patients in rural areas: a proof-of-concept study

Introduction

Post-COVID syndrome is increasingly recognized as a new clinical entity after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients living in rural areas may have to travel long with subjectively great effort to be examined using all necessary interdisciplinary tools. This problem could be addressed with mobile outpatient clinics.

Methods

In this prospective observational study, we investigated physical fitness, fatigue, depression, cognitive dysfunction, and dyspnea in patients with post-COVID syndrome in a mobile interdisciplinary post-COVID outpatient clinic. Upon referral from their primary care physician, patients were offered an appointment at a mobile post-COVID outpatient clinic close to their home.

Results

We studied 125 patients (female, n = 79; 63.2%) in our mobile unit. All patients reported symptoms lasting for more than 12 weeks after acute infection. 88.3% and 64.1% of patients reported significant impairment in physical and mental quality of life. Patients reported a median of three symptoms. The most frequently reported symptoms were fatigue (86.4%), cognitive dysfunction (85.6%), and dyspnea (37.6%). 56.0% of patients performed at < 2.5th percentile at the 1 min sit-to-stand test compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls, and 25 patients (20.0%) exhibited a drop in oxygen saturation. A questionnaire given to each patient regarding the mobile unit revealed a very high level of patient satisfaction.

Conclusion

There is an increasing need for high-quality and locally available care for patients with post-COVID syndrome. A mobile post-COVID outpatient clinic is a new concept that may be particularly suitable for use in rural regions. Patients’ satisfaction following visits in such units is very high.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s15010-022-01881-0.

Healthcare professionals' perceptions of impacts of the Covid-19-pandemic on outpatient care in rural areas: a qualitative study

Background

Measures to manage the COVID-19 pandemic have led to impacts on healthcare systems and providers worldwide. Outpatient healthcare professionals (HCPs) provide the majority of patient care. Insight into their experiences during a pandemic is rare. Therefore, we explored how primary and secondary care HCPs in a rural area in Germany experienced their work during the pandemic and what health-related outcomes they perceived in their patients. In this context, we also examined the impact on access to and utilization of healthcare and working conditions.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative interview study with outpatient HCPs. We recruited by e-mail, telephone, professional networks and personal contacts. Data were collected between August 2020 and January 2021. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

Our sample consisted of 28 HCPs (15 family physicians, 7 cardiologists, and 6 non-physician assistants, 12 female) from Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. HCPs experienced fewer consultations as well as cancellations by hospitals and secondary care physicians, especially at the beginning of the Covid-19-pandemic, while they continued throughout to provide outpatient care. They quickly adopted changes in practice organisation and healthcare provision. There was a shift towards telephone consultations, home visits as well as unconventional consultations e.g. through the practice window. Family physicians used personal relationships to support utilization of healthcare and to avoid health-related effects. Social tension and burden seemed to interact with a perceived lack of preparedness, the pandemic-related changes in their working condition as well as access to and utilization of healthcare. Chronic disease monitoring was postponed, which could have consequences in the course of disease of patients. HCPs experienced effects on patients’ psychological well-being.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates the impacts of Covid-19-pandemic on outpatient care in rural areas and emphasizes its importance. HCPs experienced impacts on access to and utilization of healthcare, working conditions and health-related outcomes. Health policy should create a framework for healthcare to support outpatient care in rural areas with a looming undersupply of primary and secondary care in order to maintain healthcare and reduce pandemic impacts.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-021-07261-y.

Facilitators and barriers for the implementation of telemedicine from a local government point of view - a cross-sectional survey in Germany

BACKGROUND

Telemedicine offers additional ways of delivering medical care, e.g., in primary care in rural areas. During the last decades, projects including telemedicine are being implemented worldwide. However, implementation of telemedicine is in some countries, e.g., Germany somewhat slower compared to northern European countries. One important part of successful implementation is to include the citizen perspective. The aims of this study were to explore the perception of representatives of the local government regarding telemedicine in the context of a perceived GP shortage and to tailor future telemedicine offers according to these perceived needs.

METHODS

Considering the multidisciplinary assessment suggested by the Model for Assessment of Telemedicine a questionnaire with 19 questions was developed by identifying determinants of telemedicine out the literature. After pre-testing, the questionnaire was sent to all 2199 mayors from the federal states of Schleswig-Holstein (North Germany) and Baden-Württemberg (South Germany) as representatives of the citizens (cross- sectional study; full population survey). The final questionnaire contained sections for socio-demographic data, telemedicine and perceived GP shortage. All responses from November 2018 until 2019 were included and analyzed descriptively.

RESULTS

The response rate was 32% (N = 699), of which 605 were included in the analysis. A majority of the participants stated they live in a rural area and 46% were in the office for up to 8 years. The mayors had predominantly a positive perception about telemedicine (60%) and 76% of them stated, their community would benefit from telemedicine. A GP shortage was reported by 39% of the participants. The highest risk of telemedicine was seen in misdiagnosing. In case of an emergency situation 291 (45%) of the participants considered data privacy as not as relevant. Mayors from a community with a perceived GP shortage had a more negative perception regarding telemedicine.

CONCLUSION

The acceptance of telemedicine is rapidly rising compared to former studies. Communities with a perceived GP shortage had a more negative perception. Barriers like data security concerns were seen as less important in case of an emergency. The highest risk of telemedicine was seen in misdiagnosing. These findings need to be considered in designing future telemedicine offers.

Mobile diagnostics and consultation for the prevention of the metabolic syndrome and its secondary diseases in Brandenburg-study protocol of a regional prospective cohort study: the Mobile Brandenburg Cohort

BACKGROUND

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a risk cluster for a number of secondary diseases. The implementation of prevention programs requires early detection of individuals at risk. However, access to health care providers is limited in structurally weak regions. Brandenburg, a rural federal state in Germany, has an especially high MetS prevalence and disease burden. This study aims to validate and test the feasibility of a setup for mobile diagnostics of MetS and its secondary diseases, to evaluate the MetS prevalence and its association with moderating factors in Brandenburg and to identify new ways of early prevention, while establishing a "Mobile Brandenburg Cohort" to reveal new causes and risk factors for MetS.

METHODS

In a pilot study, setups for mobile diagnostics of MetS and secondary diseases will be developed and validated. A van will be equipped as an examination room using point-of-care blood analyzers and by mobilizing standard methods. In study part A, these mobile diagnostic units will be placed at different locations in Brandenburg to locally recruit 5000 participants aged 40-70 years. They will be examined for MetS and advice on nutrition and physical activity will be provided. Questionnaires will be used to evaluate sociodemographics, stress perception, and physical activity. In study part B, participants with MetS, but without known secondary diseases, will receive a detailed mobile medical examination, including MetS diagnostics, medical history, clinical examinations, and instrumental diagnostics for internal, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and cognitive disorders. Participants will receive advice on nutrition and an exercise program will be demonstrated on site. People unable to participate in these mobile examinations will be interviewed by telephone. If necessary, participants will be referred to general practitioners for further diagnosis.

DISCUSSION

The mobile diagnostics approach enables early detection of individuals at risk, and their targeted referral to local health care providers. Evaluation of the MetS prevalence, its relation to risk-increasing factors, and the "Mobile Brandenburg Cohort" create a unique database for further longitudinal studies on the implementation of home-based prevention programs to reduce mortality, especially in rural regions.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00022764 ; registered 07 October 2020-retrospectively registered.

The contribution of service density and proximity to geographical inequalities in health care utilisation in Indonesia: A nation-wide multilevel analysis

Background

Geographical inequalities in access to health care have only recently become a global health issue. Little evidence is available about their determinants. This study investigates the associations of service density and service proximity with health care utilisation in Indonesia and the parts they may play in geographic inequalities in health care use.

Methods

Using data from a nationally representative survey (N = 649 625), we conducted a cross-sectional study and employed multilevel logistic regression to assess whether supply-side factors relating to service density and service proximity affect the variability of outpatient and inpatient care utilisation across 497 Indonesian districts. We used median odds ratios (MORs) to estimate the extent of geographical inequalities. Changes in the MOR values indicated the role played by the supply-side factors in the inequalities.

Results

Wide variations in the density and proximity of health care services were observed between districts. Outpatient care utilisation was associated with travel costs (odds ratio (OR) = 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.70-0.97). Inpatient care utilisation was associated with ratios of hospital beds to district population (OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.05-1.43) and with travel times (OR = 0.72 95% CI = 0.61-0.86). All in all, service density and proximity provided little explanation for district-level geographic inequalities in either outpatient (MOR = 1.65, 95% CrI = 1.59-1.70 decreasing to 1.61, 95% CrI = 1.56-1.67) or inpatient care utilisation (MOR = 1.63, 95% CrI = 1.55-1.69 decreasing to 1.60 95% CrI = 1.54-1.66).

Conclusions

Supply-side factors play important roles in individual health care utilisation but do not explain geographical inequalities. Variations in other factors, such as the price and responsiveness of services, may also contribute to the inequalities. Further efforts to address geographical inequalities in health care should go beyond the physical presence of health care infrastructures to target issues such as regional variations in the prices and responsiveness of services.

Risk Factor Management in Non-Metropolitan Patients with Coronary and Peripheral Artery Disease - A Protocol of a Prospective, Multi-Center, Quality Improvement Strategy

INTRODUCTION

Coronary artery disease (CAD) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) account for significant morbidity and mortality in Germany and are more prevalent in rural, non-metropolitan areas. The goal of this study is to screen patients for their current atherosclerotic status, initiate treatment according to the latest scientific findings using a standardised multimodal approach and track their atherosclerotic status over one year.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This manuscript describes the study protocol of a prospective, multicentre registry of 500 sequential patients with CAD and/or PAD in rural, non-metropolitan regions of Germany. Patients, who visit the "WalkByLab" at the Brandenburg Medical School, Brandenburg, Germany, will be assessed by using our structured, multimodal risk factor management (SMART) tool to evaluate cardiovascular morbidity data, collect information on care and deliver multimodal therapy. The study's primary objective is a cross-sectional examination of the risk profile, diagnostic and therapeutic status in this patient group. Secondary objectives include the assessment of risk factor correlations as well as changes in risk-factor profile and therapy adherence. Patients will be examined at baseline and followed up at three-monthly intervals for one year. Over this time, atherosclerotic risk factors and patient adherence to defined therapeutic strategies will be evaluated. Study completion is estimated to be December 2021. An expansion of this concept into other rural, non-metropolitan neighbouring regions is planned.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This registry was assessed and approved by the ethics committee of the Brandenburg State Medical Association, Brandenburg, Germany, and conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. The study findings will be disseminated through usual academic channels including meeting presentations and peer-reviewed publications.

PROTOCOL VERSION

1.0.

Evaluation of attitudes towards telemedicine as a basis for successful implementation: A cross-sectional survey among postgraduate trainees in family medicine in Germany

BACKGROUND

By comparison with other countries of the European Union Germany is only middle-ranking in terms of telemedicine usage. There is a relevant gap between the legal framework and the actual state of implementation. Healthcare providers play an important role in this implementation process as they are increasingly confronted with the application of telemedical scenarios. Therefore, the aim of this survey was to determine attitudes towards telemedicine of postgraduate trainees in Family Medicine (FM) in Germany.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted between July and October 2016 among postgraduate trainees in FM throughout Germany. The questionnaire covered four topics: attitudes towards telemedicine, barriers for the implementation of telemedicine, assessment of useful telemedical applications and telemedicine scenarios. A descriptive approach was used to analyze the data in order to derive determinants for the implementation of telemedicine.

RESULTS

In total, 388 postgraduate trainees from 13 of the 16 federal states in Germany answered the survey. Seventy-eight percent were female. Participants' mean age was 36 years. The majority of participants believed that only a fraction of the already existing technology in telemedicine is being used (70 %). The largest perceived barrier to telemedicine was data safety concerns. More than half of the participants (54 %) believed that telemedicine would change the doctor-patient relationship. 51 % of the participants were interested in training in telemedicine. In this respect, it is important to note that 27 % of the postgraduate trainees said their willingness to practice in rural areas might be facilitated through the availability of telemedical backup for family physicians.

CONCLUSIONS

Participating trainees in FM in Germany think that the potential for telemedicine is not yet fully exploited. Based on the results of this survey the next steps to be taken for the implementation of telemedicine applications can be addressed.

Targeted Enrollment of Medical Students for Rural China: Prospects and Challenges

PURPOSE

Most countries are faced with the challenge of inadequate human resources for health in rural and remote areas. In China, approximately 41% of the total population reside in rural areas where there is a severe shortage of qualified practicing physicians. The Chinese government adopted a plan to strengthen the primary healthcare workforce by increasing enrollment of students from rural areas and providing free medical education. The purpose of this study is to examine the design and implementation of this plan in China, including its construct, outcomes, and challenges.

METHODS

Three databases and Baidu were searched to find literature relating to targeted enrollment of medical students for rural China. Official government documents were also reviewed.

RESULTS

Targeted enrollment of medical students from rural areas was implemented in 2010 throughout China. For example, under financial support from the Ministry of Finance, over 5000 5-year medical students per year were admitted from central and western China. Most graduates went to rural primary care settings to provide health services in accordance with their signed commitments to provide service as intended by the government. These medical school initiatives are faced with a number of challenges, including unfilled enrollment vacancies, low motivation to study among these students along with a reluctance to serve a rural population, and unguaranteed job opportunities.

CONCLUSION

Targeted enrollment of medical students and free medical education in exchange for obligatory services contribute to improve the allocation of physicians in rural China. However, there are opportunities to improve the design and implementation of these programs. This review of the approach taken in China may be informative to other countries in their efforts to address the shortage of health professionals in rural and remote areas.

Patient Input in Regional Healthcare Planning-A Meaningful Contribution

Background: There are well-known methodological and analytical challenges in planning regional healthcare services (HCS). Increasingly, the need for data-derived planning, including user-perspectives, is discussed. This study aims to better understand the possible contribution of citizen experience in the assessment of regional HCS needs in two regions of Germany. Methods: We conducted a written survey in two regions of differing size-a community (3653 inhabitants) and a county (165,211 inhabitants). Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the impact of sociodemographic and regional factors on the assessment of HCS provided by general practitioners (GPs) and specialists. Results: Except for age and financial resources available for one's own health, populations did not differ significantly between the regions. However, citizens' perception of HCS (measured by satisfaction with 1 = very good to 5 = very poor) differed clearly between different services (e.g., specialists: 3.8-4.3 and pharmacies: 1.7-2.5) as well as between regions (GPs: 1.7-3.1; therapists: 2.9-4). In the multivariate model, region (next to income and age) was a consistent predictor of the perception of GP- and specialist-provided care. Discussion: Citizens' perceptions of HCS correspond to regional provider density (the greater the density, the better the perception) and add insights into citizens' needs. Therefore, they can provide valuable information on regional HCS strengths and weaknesses and are a valid resource to support decision makers in shaping regional care structures.

Rural - urban differences in determinants of patient satisfaction with primary care

In light of the rising regional inequalities in primary care provider supply, to ensure equitable access is a pressing issue in health policy. Most policy approaches fall short in considering the patient perspective when defining shortage areas. As a consequence, implementations of new service delivery models might fail to be responsive to patients' expectations. To explore regional differences in the relative importance of structure and process attributes as drivers of patient satisfaction with local primary care, we collected data from residents of three objectively well-supplied urban and six objectively worse-supplied rural areas in Germany and tested a multi-group structural equation model. The results suggest that the relative importance of care attributes is different among the regional conditions rural and urban. Regardless of regional constraints, the strongest determinants of satisfaction are not related to structural aspects but are concerned with the quality of the doctor-patient relationship. A lack of available choices and a higher tolerance in terms of distances provide possible explanations for the results. The high importance rural residents attribute to the interpersonal relation should not be neglected in the re-organization of traditional service delivery in rural areas.