General Practitioners' Experiences of Digital Written Patient Dialogues: A Pilot Study Using a Mixed Method

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Primary Health Care
• Health Informatics

Background:

• The integration of advanced information technologies in patient-provider communication is evolving.
• Physician perspectives on digital care vary, citing concerns about workload, workflow changes, and data security.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate general practitioners' (GPs) experiences and satisfaction levels with digital primary health care.
• To understand the impact of digital tools on primary care workflows and patient safety.

Main Methods:

• A convergent mixed-method approach combining quantitative surveys (index values and Likert scales) and qualitative interviews using critical incident technique (CIT).
• Data collection involved 6 GPs over a 2-month period in 2019.

Main Results:

• GPs reported favorable experiences (IV 0.65) and satisfaction (median 6.5/10) with the digital care concept.
• Qualitative analysis revealed themes of balancing traditional and digital care, and active strategy use for system navigation.
• Digital chat was seen as a valuable complement to traditional care, enhancing patient safety through access to self-reported histories, though symptom lists were sometimes unsuitable.

Conclusions:

• Current digital written patient dialogues effectively complement traditional primary health care.
• GPs expressed satisfaction with the digital care concept, highlighting its benefits for workflow and patient safety.
• Further refinement of the digital care system's design is necessary to address identified limitations and enhance usability.