Abstract:
Since the corona pandemic, the debate to what extent patient treatment can be expanded to an online platform has reached new heights. Our retrospective analysis of outpatient psychosomatic patients surveyed four groups of questions relating to online activities: i) interaction with physicians, ii) patient interaction, iii) ordering medication, and iv) obtaining medical information. The study set out to assess patients’ usage of EHA in relation to the start of COVID-19, its change in extent to COVID-19, and future EHA preferences. Our results show physician interaction and ordering medication online have notably increased in usage since the start of COVID-19, shown a high relation due to COVID-19, and future engagements were primarily preferred in- person. On the other hand, obtaining medical information and other patient interactions have shown little increase online since the start of COVID-19, little change due to COVID-19, and future engagements were primarily preferred in-person for patient interactions, whereas obtaining medical information was flexible to online or in- person meetings. Further examination of the data revealed the use of magazines and wearables were least likely to change in usage and be influenced by COVID-19, while physician interaction via live video and mail has increased the most in usage and extent due to COVID-19. Although the use of online databases and health apps also portrayed a notable increase in usage, the rise was not COVID-19 related. Specific handling for people of different genders, age groups, and meeting preference should be taken into consideration. People of unspecified gender were more likely to consider the questions asked as being non-applicable and tended to prefer future forms of physician interaction in-person. Women were most likely to obtain medical information and interact with physicians via email. Men’s answers did not differ noticeably from women, however, were least likely to use health apps. Women were more likely to contribute EHA changes due to COVID-19 than men. Men and women both tended towards being indifferent to meeting locations. Younger patients were more likely to use electronic health forms and displayed more flexibility in future physician interaction compared to older patients, who preferred in-person interactions. Age was not a factor in EHA changes due to COVID-19. Patients originally displaying a preference towards online and in-person meetings displayed a preference for future physician engagements in-person and an indifference towards further EHA. The original preference towards on-site meetings reported less change in EHA since 2019, but the preference towards online meetings attributed more changes due to COVID- 19. The amount of digital possibilities in regard to medicine is rapidly increasing. This applies especially to health-related activities such as searching for information on the Internet, video consultations with physicians, or the use of wearables. Even beyond the pandemic situation, these changes will continue. These changes include the emergence of artificial intelligence, which has the potential to revolutionize the way we do medicine tomorrow. As seen in the data, obtaining medical information has shown to be indifferent to the location of services. With the help of AI, receiving medical information in a praxis could become obsolete. Although the presence of the physician is still desired, questions about the extent of AI integration in the medical field have risen. To be at the forefront of technological advances and to what degree patients desire these changes is essential: providing satisfactory communication, preventing the spread of misinformation, and continue optimizing healthcare
