Background: The emergence and use of new information technologies (IT) has been affecting a doctor-patient communication in family medicine. Patients` attitudes towards the use of IT, particularly e-mail in communication with their physicians were analyzed. Method: In March 2011, 35 family doctors asked every fifth patient, who came to the consultation or examination, to voluntarily and anonymously complete a questionnaire which was constructed and previously tested for the purpose of the study. The questionnaires consisted of 48 complex questions with the appropriate internal consistency (Crobach α) 0.7). Each physician was planned to gather data from 30 patients. By the end of May 2011, out of 1050, 967 completed questionnaires were collected (92.1% response). The software package SPSS, version 19.0, was used to perform bivariate and multivariate analysis. Results: In a sample of 967 subjects, there were 585 (60.5%) women and 382 (39.5%) men, aged 40.8 ± 13.5 years, mostly married (559 (60.2%)) or single (242 (26.1%)), 514 (53.7%) living in urban, 290 (30.3%) rural and 143 (16.0%) in a suburban environment. With multiple linear regression analysis, factors independently associated with the acceptance or rejection of e-mail communication in patients, were identified and explained 57.6% of the variance. These factors were mostly related to the characteristics of IT, rather than social or demographic characteristics of respondents. Conclusion: Patients` attitudes towards the use of e-mail in communication with physicians were associated with computer literacy and the purpose of such communication, i.e. informing, unavailability of doctors at the clinic.
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 29413081Background: At the Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana, the research project L3-3647 Possible uses of modern IT in communication with patients were explored from 2010 and the acceptability of modern IT (internet, online forums and e-mail) in communication with patients in family medicine has been analyzed. The attitudes of patients and physicians towards the use of modern IT have been explored and websites providing health related information are to be analyzed. The article presents patients` attitudes towards the use IT, particularly e-mail in communication with their family physicians. Method: In March 2011, 35 family doctors asked every fifth patient, who came to the consultation or examination, to voluntarily and anonymously complete a questionnaire which was constructed and previously tested for the purpose of the study. The questionnaires consisted of 48 complex questions with the appropriate internal consistency (Crobach α) 0.7). By the end of May 2011, 967 completed questionnaires out of planned 1050 were received (92.1% response). Using the software package SPSS, version 19.0, we performed bivariate and multivariate analysis. Results: In the sample of 967 subjects, there were 585 (60.5%) women and 382 (39.5%) men, aged 40.8 ± 13.5 years. They were mostly married (559 (60.2%)) or single (242 (26.1%)), 514 (53.7%) living in the urban, 290 (30.3%) rural and 143 (16.0%) living in a suburban milieu. The rarely patients used a personal computer the more they rejected an e-mail as means of communication with their family doctor. Therefore we concluded that a complete rejection of e-mail in people who do not ever use personal computer is to be expected. The modelling process identified factors independently associated with the acceptance / rejection of e-mail communication with family physicians in patients; these are factors related to the characteristics of information technology. Patients, who obtain health related information in social networks, were more inclined to use e-mail when communicating with their family doctors. The more patients embraced e-mail as means of communication, the more they valued providing information via e-mail, communicating with family doctor in case of doctor’s absence from the clinic, contacting doctor in Internet forums, and faster transfer of messages while using the e-mail.
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 29536729Background: The use of modern information technologies (especially e-mail) can relieve the number of daily consultations in family medicine clinics. Traditional ways of communication in family medicine have been thoroughly studied; however the use of modern information technologies in patient management, consulting/advisement and other integrative types of patient care have not been studied yet in Slovenia. Purpose and aims: The purpose of our study is to examine possible uses of modern information technologies (internet, web forums and e-mail) in doctor-patient communication in family medicine. In preliminary report, our focus was on the use of e-mail in patient – family physician communication. We presented results of quantitative analysis of questionnaires administered in family care settings in Slovenia till the end of July 2011. Methods: A questionnaire for patients consists of 48 questions and provides mostly Likert scale type of answers, while a questionnaire for physicians consist of 56 questions with similar type of answers. Most of the questions in both questionnaires are the same; the questionnaires were constructed and tested as a part of the research project. Data collection (from patients and doctors) started in March 2011 and was finished in July 2011. In the sample of physicians, every third family physician in the register was included. Patients have been recruited based on randomised trial design in a multi centre study. Hypotheses: The use of modern information technologies means demands suitable equipment (personal computer, internet access, e-mail address) and has to be represented as one of the possibilities for patient treatment/management. For a proper implementation, the time accessibility of the doctor has to be determined, the clinical work properly reorganized and an evaluation system established. Patient’s age is an important factor of their attitude towards the communication with physicians, while doctors’ working years are an important factor of their attitude towards the use of information technologies means for communication with patients.
B.04 Guest lecture
COBISS.SI-ID: 28959193