The following is a summary of “Impact of eHealth on relationships and trust in primary care: a review of reviews,” published in the November 2023 issue of Primary Care by Ramachandran, et al.
In light of the growing incorporation of digital health technology into team-based primary care, researchers sought to understand how eHealth influences the interactions between patients and providers and between providers themselves.
A study of reviews was carried out on three different databases to locate publications that were published in English for the year 2008 and beyond. In the study, a thematic analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of various forms of eHealth on relationships and trust, as well as the elements that influence the impact. The Researchers considered a total of 79 reviews in their analysis.
In comparison to provider-provider connections, patient-provider relationships were addressed more often than provider-provider relationships. Communication methods such as telemedicine were the most often addressed among the many types of technology. There was a discovery that eHealth had good and bad effects on people’s relationships and/or trust. There were a variety of patient-related, provider-related, technology-related, and organizational variables that affected this impact.
These aspects include patient sociodemographics, provider communication skills, technology design, and organizational technology adoption. The purpose of the study was to give recommendations for the selection, use, and training of technology that is both successful and fair to maximize eHealth’s influence on relationships and trust. When it comes to using eHealth in primary care delivery, the results of the review may give providers and policymakers information that can help them make decisions that will enhance relationship-building.
Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-023-02176-5
