New apps and devices are constantly being designed with the intention of simplifying or streamlining the daily work processes of health care professionals. As part of a recent study that focused on the adoption of new technology in GP practices, we compared the availability of certain digital technologies to the actual usage among patients. Unsurprisingly, new technologies are not being used to their full capacity, but which technologies are the most and least used and offered in practices in France and the UK?
In 2018 AplusA interviewed 150 GPs in the UK and 194 GPs in France. Below are some of the key findings on the topic of availability vs usage of new digital services.
Phone consultation is the most widely available new service in the UK and France; offered by 97% of practices in the UK and 48% of practices in France but only used by around 40% and 25% of patients in either country respectively.
Almost all GP practices in the UK offer patients the option to order repeat prescriptions online. This is in stark contrast to GP practices in France, where only 13% offer this online service. The study found that around 40% of UK patients and 18% of French patients order repeat prescriptions this way.
Around 90% of GP practices in the UK also offer the option to patients to book their appointments online compared with only half of practices in France. The adoption rate of this service among patients however remains lower in the UK at 25% compared to almost half of French patients.
Practices in the UK and France now offer patients the option to access their medical records online. Around two-thirds of practices in the UK and less than 20% of French practices currently offer this service, and only 21% of UK patients and 13% of French patients currently access their records this way.
The study found that the digital service currently offered by the smallest number of GPs is video consultation – available in only 4% of practices in the UK and 7% in France.
To access all the insights from this study, including the three typical GP presonae relating to their adoption of new technology, download the presentation here:
Other posts that might be of interest:
What do GPs think are the main effects of technology on their practice?
How Will Connected Devices Impact the Future of Healthcare?
Doctors Professional VS Personal Use of New Tech
Sources:
AplusA