PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

The uptake of telemedicine remains low in Germany. Barriers include a lack of willingness of adoption and user’s acceptance. Change in adoption and acceptance of new technologies is characterised by a mutually influencing network of different attitudes and behaviours which differ in severity depending on each user group. One key factor is the economic framework. Thus, we examined the influence of economic determinants influencing the attitude of physicians towards remote monitoring in Germany. Methods: Using an online survey, 201 outpatient physicians of different specialties were questioned. The participants (84.3% male, mean age 53 years) were asked to assess empirically based economic attributes regarding an implementation of remote monitoring. Results: There is a lack of information regarding the economic risks of using remote monitoring, with only 14% of the interviewed physicians feeling sufficiently informed. The barriers identified were missing reimbursement arrangements, uncertain economic advantages, and missing business models. Furthermore, the costs of implementation are not clear for the great majority of interviewees. However, users expected economic advantages from telemedicine. Conclusions: In addition to definite legal framework conditions, information security, and quality-based guidelines, a stronger focus on economic topics is required. It is clear that physicians in particular need to be better informed.