Physicians’ Attitudes Toward Prescribable mHealth Apps and Implications for Adoption in Germany: Mixed Methods Study
BackgroundIn October 2020, Germany became the first country, worldwide, to approve certain mobile health (mHealth) apps, referred to as DiGA (Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen, in German, meaning digital health applications), for prescription with costs covered by standard stat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2021-11-01
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| Series: | JMIR mHealth and uHealth |
| Online Access: | https://mhealth.jmir.org/2021/11/e33012 |
| _version_ | 1797735573703622656 |
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| author | Florian Dahlhausen Maximillian Zinner Linn Bieske Jan P Ehlers Philip Boehme Leonard Fehring |
| author_facet | Florian Dahlhausen Maximillian Zinner Linn Bieske Jan P Ehlers Philip Boehme Leonard Fehring |
| author_sort | Florian Dahlhausen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundIn October 2020, Germany became the first country, worldwide, to approve certain mobile health (mHealth) apps, referred to as DiGA (Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen, in German, meaning digital health applications), for prescription with costs covered by standard statutory health insurance. Yet, this option has only been used to a limited extent so far.
ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate physicians’ and psychotherapists’ current attitudes toward mHealth apps, barriers to adoption, and potential remedies.
MethodsWe conducted a two-stage sequential mixed methods study. In phase one, semistructured interviews were conducted with physicians and psychotherapists for questionnaire design. In phase two, an online survey was conducted among general practitioners, physicians, and psychotherapists.
ResultsA total of 1308 survey responses by mostly outpatient-care general practitioners, physicians, and psychotherapists from across Germany who could prescribe DiGA were recorded, making this the largest study on mHealth prescriptions to date. A total of 62.1% (807/1299) of respondents supported the opportunity to prescribe DiGA. Improved adherence (997/1294, 77.0%), health literacy (842/1294, 65.1%), and disease management (783/1294, 60.5%) were most frequently seen as benefits of DiGA. However, only 30.3% (393/1299) of respondents planned to prescribe DiGA, varying greatly by medical specialty. Professionals are still facing substantial barriers, such as insufficient information (1135/1295, 87.6%), reimbursement for DiGA-related medical services (716/1299, 55.1%), medical evidence (712/1298, 54.9%), legal uncertainties (680/1299, 52.3%), and technological uncertainties (658/1299, 50.7%). To support professionals who are unsure of prescribing DiGA, extended information campaigns (1104/1297, 85.1%) as well as recommendations from medical associations (1041/1297, 80.3%) and medical colleagues (1024/1297, 79.0%) were seen as the most impactful remedies.
ConclusionsTo realize the benefits from DiGA through increased adoption, additional information sharing about DiGA from trusted bodies, reimbursement for DiGA-related medical services, and further medical evidence are recommended. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:01:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f67a1dfee06c4d99a3ef9a5e1ab282b4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2291-5222 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:01:01Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
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| series | JMIR mHealth and uHealth |
| spelling | doaj.art-f67a1dfee06c4d99a3ef9a5e1ab282b42023-08-28T19:49:42ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR mHealth and uHealth2291-52222021-11-01911e3301210.2196/33012Physicians’ Attitudes Toward Prescribable mHealth Apps and Implications for Adoption in Germany: Mixed Methods StudyFlorian Dahlhausenhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3730-8992Maximillian Zinnerhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9416-6113Linn Bieskehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8777-3705Jan P Ehlershttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6306-4173Philip Boehmehttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8906-4753Leonard Fehringhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3322-3724 BackgroundIn October 2020, Germany became the first country, worldwide, to approve certain mobile health (mHealth) apps, referred to as DiGA (Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen, in German, meaning digital health applications), for prescription with costs covered by standard statutory health insurance. Yet, this option has only been used to a limited extent so far. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate physicians’ and psychotherapists’ current attitudes toward mHealth apps, barriers to adoption, and potential remedies. MethodsWe conducted a two-stage sequential mixed methods study. In phase one, semistructured interviews were conducted with physicians and psychotherapists for questionnaire design. In phase two, an online survey was conducted among general practitioners, physicians, and psychotherapists. ResultsA total of 1308 survey responses by mostly outpatient-care general practitioners, physicians, and psychotherapists from across Germany who could prescribe DiGA were recorded, making this the largest study on mHealth prescriptions to date. A total of 62.1% (807/1299) of respondents supported the opportunity to prescribe DiGA. Improved adherence (997/1294, 77.0%), health literacy (842/1294, 65.1%), and disease management (783/1294, 60.5%) were most frequently seen as benefits of DiGA. However, only 30.3% (393/1299) of respondents planned to prescribe DiGA, varying greatly by medical specialty. Professionals are still facing substantial barriers, such as insufficient information (1135/1295, 87.6%), reimbursement for DiGA-related medical services (716/1299, 55.1%), medical evidence (712/1298, 54.9%), legal uncertainties (680/1299, 52.3%), and technological uncertainties (658/1299, 50.7%). To support professionals who are unsure of prescribing DiGA, extended information campaigns (1104/1297, 85.1%) as well as recommendations from medical associations (1041/1297, 80.3%) and medical colleagues (1024/1297, 79.0%) were seen as the most impactful remedies. ConclusionsTo realize the benefits from DiGA through increased adoption, additional information sharing about DiGA from trusted bodies, reimbursement for DiGA-related medical services, and further medical evidence are recommended.https://mhealth.jmir.org/2021/11/e33012 |
| spellingShingle | Florian Dahlhausen Maximillian Zinner Linn Bieske Jan P Ehlers Philip Boehme Leonard Fehring Physicians’ Attitudes Toward Prescribable mHealth Apps and Implications for Adoption in Germany: Mixed Methods Study JMIR mHealth and uHealth |
| title | Physicians’ Attitudes Toward Prescribable mHealth Apps and Implications for Adoption in Germany: Mixed Methods Study |
| title_full | Physicians’ Attitudes Toward Prescribable mHealth Apps and Implications for Adoption in Germany: Mixed Methods Study |
| title_fullStr | Physicians’ Attitudes Toward Prescribable mHealth Apps and Implications for Adoption in Germany: Mixed Methods Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Physicians’ Attitudes Toward Prescribable mHealth Apps and Implications for Adoption in Germany: Mixed Methods Study |
| title_short | Physicians’ Attitudes Toward Prescribable mHealth Apps and Implications for Adoption in Germany: Mixed Methods Study |
| title_sort | physicians attitudes toward prescribable mhealth apps and implications for adoption in germany mixed methods study |
| url | https://mhealth.jmir.org/2021/11/e33012 |
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