Acceptance and Perceived Benefits of Digitalization by Medical Assistants (ANDI-MFA)

Acceptance and Perceived Benefits of Digitalization by Medical Assistants (ANDI-MFA)

The aim of this project is to improve the integration of digital processes, including e-prescriptions, within medical and dental practices for healthcare professionals. Through a better understanding of the obstacles healthcare workers encounter during the adoption of digital processes and their feedback post-implementation, this study will add to the current state of science, contributing to digital process optimization in healthcare.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: eHealth; Patient Safety; Health Care Providers
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Policy Change

Detailed Description

This study uses an online questionnaire to collect data from respondents regarding their experiences and observations as healthcare professionals in the implementation of digital processes, as well as their perception of digital processes post-implementation. The survey will be conducted at two different time points, in 2023 and 2024. As part of this initiative, we plan to share the feedback and recommendations gathered with the Federal Minister of Health and relevant authorities in collaboration with GEMATIK.

Main research questions are

I. What challenges do healthcare professionals encounter in the implementation of digital processes? II. How can the offers for the implementation and introduction of digital processes (e.g. e-prescription) in medical practice for medical and dental professionals be supported and optimized? III. What changes from the first measurement wave in 2023 to the second in 2024 with regard to the perception of digital offers, experiences, and observations?

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 1000

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Sonia Lippke, Prof. Dr.; Phone Number: 4730 0049421200; Email: slippke@constructor.university
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Mirjam Jansen; Phone Number: +4915123063857; Email: m.jansen@medmedia.koeln

Study Locations

• Germany
  • Bremen, Germany, 28759
    • Recruiting
    • Germany
    • Contact: Sonia Lippke, Prof. Dr.; Phone Number: +49 421 200 4730; Email: slippke@constructor.university
    • Contact: Keller Franziska, PhD; Phone Number: +49 421 200 4730; Email: fkeller@constructor.university

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: N/A

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Health Care Workers, including medical assistances

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

- Ability to participate in surveys (e.g., sufficient German or English language skills)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Younger than 18 years
• Illiteracy
• Massively limited cognitive abilities, i.e., linguistic components of the digital offerings must be able to be used to complete questionnaires or participate in interviews

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
sample assessed in Wave 2023; Participants can be any healthcare worker, including dental and medical assistants, aged 18 or older.	Other: Policy Change; There will be a change with the digitalization in the health care system with the beginning of the year 2024 and between Wave 1 and Wave 2
sample assessed in Wave 2024; Participants can be any healthcare worker, including dental and medical assistants, aged 18 or older.	Other: Policy Change; There will be a change with the digitalization in the health care system with the beginning of the year 2024 and between Wave 1 and Wave 2

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Adoption and acceptance of information technology (IT)	The items assess the adoption and acceptance of telematic infrastructure (TI) in medical or dental practices. They collect data on the use of TI, its impact on daily operations, and its acceptance. These are example items for each category: Is your medical office connected to the Telematics Infrastructure (TI)? (Answer options: "bot at all", "some days", "more than half of the days", "almost every day"); Does the TI connection run smoothly without causing disruption to your practice operations? (Answer options: "not at all", "some days", "more than half of the days", "almost every day"); Do you know if your (dental) office management fundamentally rejects a TI connection? (Answer options: "I strongly disagree", "I disagree", "I agree", "I strongly agree", "I don't know")	3 months
Requests by patients regarding IT	The items assess the frequency of patients' inquiries about various digital health applications and services. These are example items: How often have been asked by patients about an e-prescription? (Answer options: "not at all", "some days", "more than half of the days", "almost every day"); What topics are you most frequently asked about by your patients? (Answer options: "online medical consultation", "eAU", "e-prescription", "ePA", "digital health apps (DIGAs)", "fitness trackers like smartwatches")	3 months
Perceived Benefits of IT	The perceived benefits of IT are measured through self-report	3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Knowledge and Digital health literacy	The items assess the participants' awareness and knowledge of digital health tools and their ability to access and comprehend health-related information. Example items are: Have you heard of TI applications such as eAU, KIM, e-prescription, ePA, etc.? (Answer options: "I strongly disagree", "I disagree", "I agree", "I strongly agree", "I don't know"); Have you heard of "ePA for all"? (Answer options: "I strongly disagree", "I disagree", "I agree", "I strongly agree", "I don't know.") If yes, do you feel well-informed enough to answer questions from patients about it? If no, do you know the informational materials for the waiting room or from another source such as gematik, e.g., regarding e-prescription?; Do you know the three redemption methods for the e-prescription? (Answer options: "I strongly disagree", "I disagree", "I agree", "I strongly agree", "I don't know")	3 months
Preferred learning format	The items assess how healthcare professionals prefer to access information related to their work and digital health applications. Example items are: How often do you actively search the internet for information about digital applications? (Answer options: "never", "almost never", "sometimes", "almost daily", "daily"); On which platforms do you seek information when looking for details about digital health applications? (Answer options: Facebook, Facebook group, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Xing, other); How do you prefer to inform yourself about applications related to your work? (multiple answer option)	3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH
• Collaborators: Mirjam Jansen; medmedia Academy
• Investigators: Study Director: Alina Dahmen, Dr. med., Constructor University Bremen gGmbH

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Project Partner
• Main PI

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 22, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 19, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): February 21, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 21, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 19, 2024
• Last Verified: February 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: acceptance; health care providers; digital processes; e-prescriptions; medical assistants; life-long learning
• Other Study ID Numbers: ANDI-MFA2023_10

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No