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van Kessel R, Kyriopoulos I, Mastylak A, Mossialos E. Changes in digital healthcare search behavior during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic: A study of six English-speaking countries. PLOS DIGITAL HEALTH 2023; 2:e0000241. [PMID: 37126489 PMCID: PMC10150970 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Public interest is an important component influencing the likelihood of successfully implementing digital healthcare. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed us to assess how public interest in digital health changed in response to disruptions in traditional health services. In this study, we used a difference-in-differences approach to determine how digital healthcare search behavior shifted during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the same period in 2019 across six English-speaking countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland. In most cases, we observed that the official declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic on 11 March 2020 was associated with a significant overall increase in the volume of digital healthcare searches. We also found notable heterogeneity between countries in terms of the keywords that were used to search for digital healthcare, which could be explained by linguistic differences across countries or the different national digital health landscapes. Since online searches could be an initial step in the pathway to accessing health services, future studies should investigate under what circumstances increased public interest translates into demand for and utilization of digital healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin van Kessel
- LSE Health, Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom
- Department of International Health, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, The Netherlands
- Gravitate Health, European Patients' Forum, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ilias Kyriopoulos
- LSE Health, Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alicja Mastylak
- Department of International Health, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, The Netherlands
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Elias Mossialos
- LSE Health, Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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Getachew E, Adebeta T, Muzazu SGY, Charlie L, Said B, Tesfahunei HA, Wanjiru CL, Acam J, Kajogoo VD, Solomon S, Atim MG, Manyazewal T. Digital health in the era of COVID-19: Reshaping the next generation of healthcare. Front Public Health 2023; 11:942703. [PMID: 36875401 PMCID: PMC9976934 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.942703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 is one of the most deadly diseases to have stricken us in recent decades. In the fight against this disease, governments and stakeholders require all the assistance they can get from various systems, including digital health interventions. Digital health technologies are supporting the tracking of the COVID-19 outbreak, diagnosing patients, expediting the process of finding potential medicines and vaccines, and disinfecting the environment, The establishment of electronic medical and health records, computerized clinical decision support systems, telemedicine, and mobile health have shown the potential to strengthen the healthcare system. Recently, these technologies have aided the health sector in a variety of ways, including prevention, early diagnosis, treatment adherence, medication safety, care coordination, documentation, data management, outbreak tracking, and pandemic surveillance. On the other hand, implementation of such technologies has questions of cost, compatibility with existing systems, disruption in patient-provider interactions, and sustainability, calling for more evidence on clinical utility and economic evaluations to help shape the next generation of healthcare. This paper argues how digital health interventions assist in the fight against COVID-19 and their opportunities, implications, and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emnet Getachew
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Science, Arsi University, Asella, Ethiopia
| | - Tsegaye Adebeta
- Outpatient Department, Ethiopian Airlines Medical Unit, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Seke G. Y. Muzazu
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Enteric Diseases and Vaccines Research Unit, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Loveness Charlie
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- KNCV TB Foundation, Challenge TB Project, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Bibie Said
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Outpatient Department, Kibong'oto National Tuberculosis Hospital, Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
| | - Hanna Amanuel Tesfahunei
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Public Health, Hager Biomedical Research Institute, Asmara, Eritrea
| | - Catherine Lydiah Wanjiru
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Joan Acam
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Outpatient Department, Pope John's Hospital Aber, Atapara, Uganda
| | - Violet Dismas Kajogoo
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Samrawit Solomon
- School of Public Health, Saint Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Mary Gorret Atim
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, Soroti, Uganda
| | - Tsegahun Manyazewal
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Gunawardena T, Sharma H. Transplant Renal Artery Stenosis: Current Concepts. EXP CLIN TRANSPLANT 2022; 20:1049-1057. [PMID: 36718003 DOI: 10.6002/ect.2022.0334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Transplant renal artery stenosis is an increasingly recognized vascular complication after renal transplant. It can result in posttransplant hypertension and graft dysfunction and eventually in graft loss. Timely diagnosis and appropriate intervention for clinically significant transplant renal artery stenosis can potentially halt or reverse these adverse effects, leading to better outcomes. Duplex ultrasonography is the imaging modality of choice to screen suspected cases. Some patients with transplant renal artery stenosis will require invasive treatment with endovascular intervention or surgery, whereas others can be safely treated with blood pressure control and follow-up. In this review, we aimed to discuss the epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of this common posttransplant complication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thilina Gunawardena
- From the Department of Renal Transplant, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Nguyen LH, Nguyen LTK, Nguyen TT, Trong Dam VA, Vu TMT, Nguyen HAS, Vu GT, Latkin CA, Ho RCM, Ho CSH. Practices, Perceived Benefits, and Barriers Among Medical Students and Health Care Professionals Regarding the Adoption of eHealth in Clinical Settings: Cross-sectional Survey Study. JMIR MEDICAL EDUCATION 2022; 8:e34905. [PMID: 36098992 PMCID: PMC9516362 DOI: 10.2196/34905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND eHealth is increasingly becoming an indispensable part of health practice and policy-making strategies. However, the use of eHealth tools in clinical practice and the perceptions of eHealth among medical students and health care professionals in Vietnam are not well understood. OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate perceptions and practices regarding eHealth and their associated factors among medical students and health care professionals. METHODS A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 523 medical students and health care professionals. Information about the practices for, perceived barriers to, and benefits of eHealth application in clinical practices was collected. Multivariate Tobit and logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with perceptions and practices. RESULTS In total, 61.6% (322/523) of participants used eHealth tools in clinical practices, with moderate levels of eHealth literacy. The score for the perceived benefits of eHealth tools was low. The most common barrier for eHealth utilization was human resources for IT (240/523, 45.9%), followed by security and risk control capacity (226/523, 43.2%) and no training in eHealth application (223/523, 42.6%). Age, eHealth literacy, and the use of the internet for updating medical knowledge were positively associated with using eHealth tools in clinical practices. CONCLUSIONS eHealth tools were moderately used in clinical practices, and the benefits of eHealth were underestimated among health care professionals and medical students in Vietnam. Renovating the current medical education curriculum to integrate eHealth principles should be required to equip health care professionals and medical students with essential skills for rapid digital transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Hoang Nguyen
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Lien Thi Khanh Nguyen
- Institute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Tham Thi Nguyen
- Institute for Global Health Innovations, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam
- Faculty of Medicine, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam
| | - Vu Anh Trong Dam
- Institute for Global Health Innovations, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam
- Faculty of Medicine, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam
| | | | | | - Giang Thu Vu
- Center of Excellence in Evidence-Based Medicine, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Carl A Latkin
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Roger C M Ho
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore, Singapore
- Institute for Health Innovation and Technology (iHealthtech), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Cyrus S H Ho
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore, Singapore
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Vuong QH, Le TT, La VP, Nguyen MH. The psychological mechanism of internet information processing for post-treatment evaluation. Heliyon 2022; 8:e09351. [PMID: 35506049 PMCID: PMC9047410 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Digital healthcare has been greatly benefiting the public health system, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In digital healthcare, information communication through the Internet is crucial. The current study explores how patients' accessibility and trust in Internet information influence their decisions and ex-post assessment of healthcare providers by employing the Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) on a dataset of 1,459 Vietnamese patients. We find that patients’ accessibility to Internet information positively affects the perceived sufficiency of information for choosing a healthcare provider, and their trust in the information intensifies this effect. Internet information accessibility is negatively associated with post-treatment assessment of healthcare providers, and trust also moderates this effect. Moreover, patients considering professional reputation important while making a decision are more likely to regard their choices as optimal, whereas patients considering services important have contradicting tendencies. Based on these findings, a concern about the risk of eroding trust toward Internet sources about healthcare information is raised. Thus, quality control and public trust-building measures need to be taken to improve the effectiveness of healthcare-related communication through the Internet and facilitate the implementation of digital healthcare.
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Fang P, Shi S, Menhas R, Laar RA, Saeed MM. Demographic Characteristics and Digital Platforms for Physical Activity Among the Chinese Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mediating Analysis. J Multidiscip Healthc 2022; 15:515-529. [PMID: 35321232 PMCID: PMC8935732 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s354984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Aim Methods Results Conclusion
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Fang
- School of Sports Science and Physical Education, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shusheng Shi
- School of Sports Science and Physical Education, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Rashid Menhas
- Research Center of Sports Social Sciences, School of Physical Education and Sports, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Rashid Menhas, Research Center of Sports Social Sciences, School of Physical Education and Sports, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China, Email
| | - Rizwan Ahmed Laar
- College of Physical Education, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
- Rizwan Ahmed Laar, College of Physical Education, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China, Email
| | - Muhammad Muddasar Saeed
- International Education College Chinese and Western Medicine Clinic, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China
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Nguyen HL, Tran K, Doan PLN, Nguyen T. Demand for Mobile Health in Developing Countries During COVID-19: Vietnamese's Perspectives from Different Age Groups and Health Conditions. Patient Prefer Adherence 2022; 16:265-284. [PMID: 35140459 PMCID: PMC8819166 DOI: 10.2147/ppa.s348790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vietnam's economy and intellectual standards have witnessed significant development, improving conditions for residents to acquire novel mHealth applications. Additionally, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced Vietnamese awareness of healthcare; however, previous studies have only been clinician-centered rather than customer-centered. METHODS This study addresses this literature gap by interviewing 50 Vietnamese participants grouped by age, namely Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z, and health conditions, namely whether participants or family members have chronic illness. The study utilized semi-structured and in-depth interviews to collect the data and used thematic analysis to analyze the data under the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology framework. RESULTS Most participants were willing to adopt this technology and demanded a convenient and user-friendly one-stop-shop solution, endorsements from credible and authoritative sources, and professional customer services. However, each group also had distinctive demands and behaviors. CONCLUSION This study contributes theoretically by providing context-rich demand for Vietnamese customers across three generations and healthcare conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic and comparing their behavior with pre-COVID literature. While this research provides helpful information for potential app developers, this study also suggests that mHealth developers and policymakers should pay more attention to the differences in the demand of age groups and health conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung Long Nguyen
- Department of Youth Lab for Social Innovation, MiYork Research, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Department of Biology, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City - High School for the Gifted, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Khoa Tran
- Department of Youth Lab for Social Innovation, MiYork Research, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Correspondence: Khoa Tran, Youth Lab for Social Innovation, MiYork Research, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Email
| | - Phuong Le Nam Doan
- Department of Youth Lab for Social Innovation, MiYork Research, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Department of Biology, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City - High School for the Gifted, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Tuyet Nguyen
- Department of Youth Lab for Social Innovation, MiYork Research, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Department of Business, Minerva University, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Hansen ST, Ehrari H, Kristiansen S, Olsen LS, Jensen RS, Kjær TW, Beck M. User perspectives and preferences regarding a mobile health cough application: A qualitative study during the coronavirus disease pandemic in Denmark. Digit Health 2021; 7:20552076211045590. [PMID: 34676102 PMCID: PMC8524649 DOI: 10.1177/20552076211045590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Health care systems worldwide are currently facing major challenges because of the coronavirus disease pandemic. When individuals experience coronavirus disease symptoms, they often have to decide whether to seek health care services and render themselves vulnerable to infection or stay home and monitor their condition. Coronavirus disease management strategies should aim to reduce transmission, promote disease control, and facilitate self-monitoring within the population. In this regard, mobile health technologies serve as supportive tools, and acquiring knowledge about user perspectives will facilitate the development and integration of coronavirus disease-related applications. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine user perspectives on applications that monitor coronavirus disease-related physical signs and identify discrepancies between user expectations and developer design perspectives within the Danish context. Materials and methods A qualitative research design was adopted. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted to examine user expectations during the first wave of the coronavirus disease pandemic in April 2020. The theoretical framework, which was inspired by the concept of health literacy, was developed using a six-step thematic analytic approach. Results The analysis yielded two major themes that captured user experiences: (1) coronavirus disease-related applications may serve as digital tools that foster safety when physical signs are monitored and (2) the acceptability of coronavirus disease-related applications depends on the adoption of a personalised and user-friendly design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stine Thestrup Hansen
- Department of Breast Surgery and Plastic Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Denmark.,Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
| | - Humira Ehrari
- Department of Neurology, Zealand University Hospital, Denmark
| | | | - Lotte Schelde Olsen
- Department of Neurology, Zealand University Hospital, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Troels Wesenberg Kjær
- Department of Neurology, Zealand University Hospital, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Malene Beck
- Department of Neurology, Zealand University Hospital, Denmark.,Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
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