Item type:Thesis, Open Access

Electronic-Health-Technologien als Chance für eine individualisierte Versorgung? Technikakzeptanz von Health-Care-Professionals in der Versorgung von Parkinson-Patienten

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Kircher, Tilo

Abstract

This dissertation addressed three central questions regarding the technology- acceptance of e-health in Parkinson's disease (PD) care from the perspective of health- care-professionals (HCPs). Previous research has mainly focused on the patient's perspective, however the perspective of the HCPs comes up short and therefore served as the research basis for this study. The first research question focused on the perceived usefulness of e-health-technologies compared to conventional treatment approaches, particularly in terms of personalized patient care. Secondly, the extent to which the use of digital technologies could improve the communication between HCPs and patients was analyzed. Thirdly, existing barriers and concerns regarding the implementation of e- health in PD care were identified and discussed. Finally, we identified the conditions needed to overcome these challenges and to enable the successful integration of digital solutions into clinical practice. In this study, 19 HCPs in the Marburg area were recruited and interviewed about their views on the research priorities using semi-structured interviews. In addition, ten post usage evaluations between HCPs and patients were documented and analyzed through a participatory observation. Of the ten observation protocols prepared, nine could be used for further analysis. The semi-structured interviews were conducted using an interview guide, which allowed the HCPs to share their opinions on the relevant topic as freely as possible. While the current importance of e-health was considered to be rather low, the HCPs expected e-health to become increasingly important in the future, not least due to the ageing of today's younger generations. They also highlighted the positive influence of the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic on the importance of e-health. The HCPs saw e-health- technologies as a great opportunity for individualized patient care, particularly through the quantifiable recording of motor symptoms in the patient’s home environment. The evaluation of therapy adjustments and the continuous monitoring of patients' disease progression as well as the possibility of increased compliance, were also mentioned positively. From the respondents' perspective, the use of e-health for patient care in rural regions could act as a digital solution to infrastructural barriers and improve access to medical care. Also, the HCPs predicted improved communication between HCPs and patients in participatory therapy decisions. Despite the advantages, that e-health holds the HCPs identified the progressive cognitive impairment of PD patients as a central barrier while implementing e-health-technologies in PD care. Additionally, many HCPs saw the general implementation of e-health-technologies in everyday medical practice critically. Specialists in private practice and those working in nursing care in particular emphasized time and economic barriers, limited time slots, high workloads and inadequate remuneration models. Possible solutions for promoting e-health integration in PD care were seen mainly in technological designs and structural adjustments to the healthcare system. In the discussion, the study results were compared with the existing literature and analyzed in the context of the technology acceptance model by Venkatesh et al. This showed that the HCPs' acceptance of e-health-technologies could certainly be improved by facilitating conditions and a high perceived usefulness. As a result, low-threshold and comprehensive care for PD patients, especially in rural areas, were identified as particularly beneficial influences. In addition, the possibility of a customized treatment plan was assessed as a positive factor influencing technology acceptance. Improved communication and compliance could also facilitate the general framework conditions and could therefore also lead to an increased technology acceptance. At the same time, however, inhibiting factors were also identified: Insufficiently fulfilled performance expectations of HCPs as well as structural limitations represented the greatest barriers to technology acceptance and would have a correspondingly negative effect on the implementation of e-health in PD care. The present study concluded that e-health-technologies currently still play a minor role in PD care. However, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to an increased awareness in their importance and highlighted the key benefits of these technologies - such as the possibility of individualized therapy, improved care in rural areas and an objective recording of motor symptoms in the patient’s home environment. A shared database could also have a positive impact on the communication between HCPs and patients and on therapy adherence. However, structural and technical limitations need to be overcome and further evidence-based research is needed to further increase the uptake of e-health technologies.

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Hohn, Jonas: Electronic-Health-Technologien als Chance für eine individualisierte Versorgung? Technikakzeptanz von Health-Care-Professionals in der Versorgung von Parkinson-Patienten. : 2026-03-19.

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This item has been published with the following license: In Copyright