Perceptions of Practitioners on Telehealth and App Use for Smoking Cessation and COPD Care—An Exploratory Study
<i>Background and objectives:</i> With the digitalization of modern healthcare delivery, digital media adoption in clinical practice is increasing. Also, healthcare professionals are more and more confronted with patients using smartphone-based health applications (apps). This explorator...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-12-01
|
| Series: | Medicina |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1010-660X/56/12/698 |
| _version_ | 1797717103608856576 |
|---|---|
| author | Daniela Haluza Michaela Saustingl Kseniya Halavina |
| author_facet | Daniela Haluza Michaela Saustingl Kseniya Halavina |
| author_sort | Daniela Haluza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Background and objectives:</i> With the digitalization of modern healthcare delivery, digital media adoption in clinical practice is increasing. Also, healthcare professionals are more and more confronted with patients using smartphone-based health applications (apps). This exploratory study aimed at surveying perceptions on such apps in the context of lung health among a cross section of Austrian practitioners involved in pulmonary care. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> The online questionnaire in German assessed socio-demographic characteristics, telehealth readiness as well as opinions on smoke-free and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) apps. We used descriptive statistics to report the finding. <i>Results:</i> We received valid responses from 55 participants (mean age 52.3 years, 69.1% males). Telehealth readiness was medium, indicating existence of certain barriers adversely impacting telehealth use. As for apps targeting smoking cessation and COPD, respondents indicated high relevance for visualization aspects for patients and control/overview features for the treating doctors. Only 40% of participants indicated that they would recommend a COPD app to an older patient. <i>Conclusions:</i> In smoking cessation therapy, doctors commonly adhere to the “5 A’s”: Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, and Arrange. We suggest adding “App” as sixth A, assuming that in patient follow-up most of the other A’s could also be supported or even replaced by app features in the challenging task to tackle smoking-associated non-communicable diseases. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T08:31:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-084aa989f7e34f4d901045dd2c76e0e4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1010-660X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T08:31:28Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medicina |
| spelling | doaj.art-084aa989f7e34f4d901045dd2c76e0e42023-09-02T17:31:47ZengMDPI AGMedicina1010-660X2020-12-015669869810.3390/medicina56120698Perceptions of Practitioners on Telehealth and App Use for Smoking Cessation and COPD Care—An Exploratory StudyDaniela Haluza0Michaela Saustingl1Kseniya Halavina2Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria<i>Background and objectives:</i> With the digitalization of modern healthcare delivery, digital media adoption in clinical practice is increasing. Also, healthcare professionals are more and more confronted with patients using smartphone-based health applications (apps). This exploratory study aimed at surveying perceptions on such apps in the context of lung health among a cross section of Austrian practitioners involved in pulmonary care. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> The online questionnaire in German assessed socio-demographic characteristics, telehealth readiness as well as opinions on smoke-free and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) apps. We used descriptive statistics to report the finding. <i>Results:</i> We received valid responses from 55 participants (mean age 52.3 years, 69.1% males). Telehealth readiness was medium, indicating existence of certain barriers adversely impacting telehealth use. As for apps targeting smoking cessation and COPD, respondents indicated high relevance for visualization aspects for patients and control/overview features for the treating doctors. Only 40% of participants indicated that they would recommend a COPD app to an older patient. <i>Conclusions:</i> In smoking cessation therapy, doctors commonly adhere to the “5 A’s”: Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, and Arrange. We suggest adding “App” as sixth A, assuming that in patient follow-up most of the other A’s could also be supported or even replaced by app features in the challenging task to tackle smoking-associated non-communicable diseases.https://www.mdpi.com/1010-660X/56/12/698health information technologyhealth behaviorinfluencing factorsonline resourceslung diseasesmoking cessation therapy |
| spellingShingle | Daniela Haluza Michaela Saustingl Kseniya Halavina Perceptions of Practitioners on Telehealth and App Use for Smoking Cessation and COPD Care—An Exploratory Study Medicina health information technology health behavior influencing factors online resources lung disease smoking cessation therapy |
| title | Perceptions of Practitioners on Telehealth and App Use for Smoking Cessation and COPD Care—An Exploratory Study |
| title_full | Perceptions of Practitioners on Telehealth and App Use for Smoking Cessation and COPD Care—An Exploratory Study |
| title_fullStr | Perceptions of Practitioners on Telehealth and App Use for Smoking Cessation and COPD Care—An Exploratory Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perceptions of Practitioners on Telehealth and App Use for Smoking Cessation and COPD Care—An Exploratory Study |
| title_short | Perceptions of Practitioners on Telehealth and App Use for Smoking Cessation and COPD Care—An Exploratory Study |
| title_sort | perceptions of practitioners on telehealth and app use for smoking cessation and copd care an exploratory study |
| topic | health information technology health behavior influencing factors online resources lung disease smoking cessation therapy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1010-660X/56/12/698 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT danielahaluza perceptionsofpractitionersontelehealthandappuseforsmokingcessationandcopdcareanexploratorystudy AT michaelasaustingl perceptionsofpractitionersontelehealthandappuseforsmokingcessationandcopdcareanexploratorystudy AT kseniyahalavina perceptionsofpractitionersontelehealthandappuseforsmokingcessationandcopdcareanexploratorystudy |