Factors influencing primary care physicians recommending patients to use digital health technologies for self-management: a cross-sectional study across 20 countries
File(s)
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
Expanding access to self-management via Digital Health Technologies may supplement traditional care, mitigating pressures on primary care through self-management. Primary Care Physicians (PCP) can play a critical role in the integration of digital health technologies into patient care, but it is unclear what factors influence PCPs’ recommendation of such technologies.
Aims
To identify the factors associated with PCPs recommending digital health technologies to patients for self-management before and during the pandemic.
Methods
PCPs across 20 countries completed an online questionnaire between June and September 2020. The outcome was a self-report of recommending patients to at least one of six listed forms of digital health technologies. Univariable logistic regression models were performed to explore factors associated with recommending digital health technologies to patients before and during the pandemic.
Results
1,592 PCPs were included. Before the pandemic, the odds of recommending digital health technologies for self-management were lower for PCPs not involved in teaching, or practising in Turkey, Australia, Chile, Colombia, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain. During the pandemic, PCPs practising in rural settings had higher odds of starting to recommend digital health technologies, as well as those from Brazil, Colombia, and Italy. There was no significant difference in recommending digital health technologies before and during the pandemic.
Conclusions
Involvement in teaching (pre-pandemic) and practising in a rural setting (during the pandemic) positively influenced the recommendation of digital health technologies. Significant variation in recommending digital health technologies was present across countries.
Expanding access to self-management via Digital Health Technologies may supplement traditional care, mitigating pressures on primary care through self-management. Primary Care Physicians (PCP) can play a critical role in the integration of digital health technologies into patient care, but it is unclear what factors influence PCPs’ recommendation of such technologies.
Aims
To identify the factors associated with PCPs recommending digital health technologies to patients for self-management before and during the pandemic.
Methods
PCPs across 20 countries completed an online questionnaire between June and September 2020. The outcome was a self-report of recommending patients to at least one of six listed forms of digital health technologies. Univariable logistic regression models were performed to explore factors associated with recommending digital health technologies to patients before and during the pandemic.
Results
1,592 PCPs were included. Before the pandemic, the odds of recommending digital health technologies for self-management were lower for PCPs not involved in teaching, or practising in Turkey, Australia, Chile, Colombia, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain. During the pandemic, PCPs practising in rural settings had higher odds of starting to recommend digital health technologies, as well as those from Brazil, Colombia, and Italy. There was no significant difference in recommending digital health technologies before and during the pandemic.
Conclusions
Involvement in teaching (pre-pandemic) and practising in a rural setting (during the pandemic) positively influenced the recommendation of digital health technologies. Significant variation in recommending digital health technologies was present across countries.
Date Issued
2025-12-01
Date Acceptance
2025-08-28
Citation
European Journal of General Practice, 2025, 31 (1)
ISSN
1381-4788
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Group
Journal / Book Title
European Journal of General Practice
Volume
31
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
2555819
Date Publish Online
2025-09-15