The Evolution of Medical Student Competencies and Attitudes in Digital Health Between 2016 and 2022: Comparative...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Medical Education
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Global healthcare systems face challenges, necessitating digitalization for strengthening services.
• Assessing healthcare professionals' digital competencies is crucial for adapting to new healthcare practices and workflows.
• Digitalization in healthcare requires continuous evaluation of workforce skills and knowledge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze shifts in medical students' attitudes, skills, and knowledge regarding digital health from 2016 to 2022.
• To evaluate these shifts in the context of national health care information system architecture development.
• To utilize the clinical adoption meta-model framework for analysis.

Main Methods:

• A survey questionnaire administered to 5th-year medical students at the University of Oulu, Finland, in 2016, 2021, and 2022.
• The questionnaire assessed attitudes toward digital health and self-perceived digital capabilities using a 5-point Likert scale.
• Statistical analysis included Pearson χ2 test and Benjamini-Hochberg correction for multiple variables.

Main Results:

• Medical students maintained positive attitudes toward digital health applications and patient-generated data.
• Self-perceived knowledge of the national patient portal significantly improved (P<.001) between 2016 and 2022.
• Perceived skills in using electronic medical records showed no significant change, and perceptions of digitalization's impact on health promotion fluctuated.

Conclusions:

• Medical students' digital health attitudes and competencies have evolved, influenced by national health information system developments.
• Positive changes in digital health perception were not entirely linear, indicating areas for improvement.
• Integrating digital health topics and practical experiences into medical curricula is essential for future healthcare professionals.