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Mapping Digital Transformation in Ambulatory Urology in Germany: High Familiarity versus Low Connectivity - A
Julian Risch1, David Jacobi2, Jakob Kohler2
1Department of Urology, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany, julian.risch@uksh.de.
Introduction:
Digital transformation of European healthcare is progressing rapidly, yet implementation in outpatient specialist care remains uneven. In Germany, office-based urologists face distinct structural, regulatory, and economic challenges. We assessed digital infrastructure, tool utilization, perceived barriers, and investment behavior, including age-related differences.
Methods:
We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional survey (April-July 2024) among private practice urologists in Germany using a 35-item questionnaire structured along three dimensions of digital adoption (infrastructure, functional use, physician attitudes). Items were adapted from two previously published, peer-reviewed German urology surveys, and pretested with 12 urologists prior to launch. A total of 189 valid responses (response rate: 17.4%) were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, and prespecified multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age, gender, practice size, years in practice, and region.
Results:
Self-reported digital familiarity was high (66.1% familiar or very familiar), yet infrastructure remained traditional: 92.6% used on-site servers and only 7.4% any cloud component. Telemedicine was rarely used (61.9% never), while 49.2% used health apps or DiGAs. Adjusted analyses confirmed that age <55 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.93, 95% CI: 1.56-5.52, p < 0.001) and shorter time in practice (aOR: 0.78 per +5 years, 95% CI: 0.65-0.94, p = 0.009) independently predicted DiGA use and revealed that telemedicine adoption was driven primarily by practice size (aOR: 1.16 per additional full-time equivalent, 95% CI: 1.05-1.29, p = 0.005) rather than age. Most practices planned to invest less than EUR 30,000 over 5 years.
Conclusions:
Digitalization in outpatient urology remains primarily administrative. High familiarity does not translate into clinical transformation, and adoption is constrained by structural rather than generational barriers. Targeted funding, interoperable systems, and clear reimbursement frameworks are needed to enable clinically meaningful digital integration.
