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. 2021 Feb 1;21(1):34.
doi: 10.1186/s12911-020-01375-9.

Use and preferences regarding internet-based health care delivery in patients with chronic kidney disease

Lena Schiffer  1   2 , Raoul Gertges  3 , Mariel Nöhre  4   3 , Elisabeth Schieffer  3   5 , Uwe Tegtbur  3   5 , Lars Pape #  6   3 , Martina de Zwaan #  4   3 , Mario Schiffer #  7   3
Affiliations

Use and preferences regarding internet-based health care delivery in patients with chronic kidney disease

Lena Schiffer et al. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. .

Abstract

Background and objectives: Internet-based technologies play an increasingly important role in the management and outcome of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The healthcare system is currently flooded with digital innovations and internet-based technologies as a consequence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, information about the attitude of German CKD-patients with access to online tools towards the use of remote, internet-based interactions such as video conferencing, email, electronic medical records and apps in general and for health issues in particular, are missing.

Design, setting, participants, and measurements: To address the use, habits and willingness of CKD patients in handling internet-based technologies we conducted a nationwide cross-sectional questionnaire survey in adults with CKD.

Results: We used 380 questionnaires from adult CKD patients (47.6% on dialysis, 43.7% transplanted and 8.7% CKD before renal replacement therapy) for analysis. Of these 18.9% denied using the internet at all (nonusers). Nonusers were significantly older (74.4 years, SD 11.4) than users (54.5 years, SD 14.5, p < 0.001), had a lower educational level than users (≥ 12 years: 6.9% versus 47.1%, p < 0.001) and were more often on dialysis. Within the group of internet users only a minority (2.6%) was using video conferencing with their physician, only 11.7% stated that they were using email to report symptoms and 26.6% were using the internet to schedule appointments. Slightly more than one-third of internet users (35.1%) are concerned that their personal medical data are not safe when submitted via the internet.

Conclusions: Within our group of German CKD-patients we found that almost one out of five patients, especially older patients and patients with a lower educational level, did not use the internet at all. The majority of internet users reported in our survey that they have not used internet-based technologies within a medical context so far, but are willing to consider it. Therefore, it seems to be important to introduce and teach motivated CKD-patients the use and benefits of simple and safe internet-based health care technologies.

Keywords: Chronic kidney disease (CKD); Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Internet-based technologies; Video conferencing; eHealth.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests..

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