Digital Age Transformation in Patient-Physician Communication: 25-Year Narrative Review (1999-2023)

Area of Science:

• Health Communication
• Digital Health
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• The digital age has transformed patient-physician communication, with health information technology (health IT) offering vast resources but also risks of overload and misinformation.
• Effective integration of health IT, patient empowerment, and shared decision-making is vital for mitigating these risks and improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key factors in health communication.
• To demonstrate how health IT, patient empowerment, and shared decision-making can optimize patient-physician communication.
• To improve patient outcomes in the digital age.

Main Methods:

• Searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, and IEEE Xplore for studies (1999-2023) on patient empowerment, health IT, shared decision-making, patient-physician relationship, and health communication.
• Utilized a multidatabase search strategy and Rayyan software for screening.
• Applied topic modeling, trend analysis, and synthesis to analyze findings.

Main Results:

• Identified three primary topics: Patient-Physician Relationship and Shared Decision-Making; Patient Empowerment and Education Strategies; and Health Care Systems and Health IT Implementations.
• Trend analysis showed the frequency and prominence of these topics from 1999 to 2023.
• Health IT's role in shaping patient-centered care frameworks was underscored, with trust and patient empowerment as key secondary terms.

Conclusions:

• Health IT is essential for shared decision-making and patient empowerment but faces barriers like usability, privacy, and digital literacy.
• Future research should evaluate these themes and address health IT challenges in communication models.
• Exploring emerging technologies like AI could further enhance health communication.