Use of E-Health in Dutch General Practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Jelle Keuper, Ronald Batenburg, Robert Verheij and Lilian van Tuyl
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Jelle Keuper: Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), 3513 CR Utrecht, The Netherlands
Ronald Batenburg: Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), 3513 CR Utrecht, The Netherlands
Robert Verheij: Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), 3513 CR Utrecht, The Netherlands
Lilian van Tuyl: Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), 3513 CR Utrecht, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 23, 1-11

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced general practices to search for possibilities to provide healthcare remotely (e.g., e-health). In this study, the impact of the pandemic on the use of e-health in general practices in the Netherlands was investigated. In addition, the intention of practices to continue using e-health more intensively and differences in the use of e-health between practice types were investigated. For this purpose, web surveys were sent to general practices in April and July 2020. Descriptive data analysis was performed and differences in the use of e-health between practice types were tested using one-way ANOVA. Response rates were 34% ( n = 1433) in April and 17% ( n = 719) in July. The pandemic invoked an increased use of several (new) e-health applications. A minority of practices indicated the intention to maintain this increased use. In addition, small differences in the use of e-health between the different practice types were found. This study showed that although there was an increased uptake of e-health in Dutch general practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, only a minority of practices intends to maintain this increased use in the future. This may point towards a temporary uptake of digital healthcare delivery rather than accelerated implementation of digital processes.

Keywords: general practice; e-health; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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