Patient-Physician Communication in the Era of Mobile Phones and Social Media Apps: Cross-Sectional Observational Study on Lebanese Physicians’ Perceptions and Attitudes

Abstract

BackgroundThe increased prevalence of virtual communication technology, particularly social media, has shifted the physician-patient relationship away from the well-established face-to-face interaction. The views and habits of physicians in Lebanon toward the use of online apps and social media as forms of patient communication have not been previously described.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to describe the views of Lebanese physicians toward the use of social media and other online apps as means of patient communication.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional observational study using an online survey that addressed physicians’ perceptions on the use of virtual communication in their clinical practice. The study took place between April and June 2016, and was directed toward physicians at the American University of Beirut Medical Center.ResultsA total of 834 doctors received the online survey, with 238 physicians completing the survey. Most of the participants were from medical specialties. Most responders were attending physicians. Less than half of the respondents believed that Web-based apps and social media could be a useful tool for communicating with patients. Email was the most common form of professional online app, followed by WhatsApp (an instant messaging service). The majority of participants felt that this mode of communication can result in medicolegal issues and that it was a breach of privacy. Participants strictly against the use of virtual forms of communication made up 47.5% (113/238) of the study sample.ConclusionsThe majority of physicians at the American University of Beirut Medical Center are reluctant to use virtual communication technology as a form of patient communication. Appropriate policy making and strategies can allow both physicians and patients to communicate virtually in a more secure setting without fear of breaching privacy and confidentiality.

Factors Impacting Clinicians’ Adoption of a Clinical Photo Documentation App and its Implications for Clinical Workflows and Quality of Care: Qualitative Case Study

“…Apps that enhance patient engagement and safety, such as imito, have better chances of being adopted. This has also been described in other studies [ 89 , 102 , 129 , 130 ]. Similarly, there is a higher acceptance of apps that improve patient access to care [ 39 , 67 , 103 ].…”

“…Given the highly regulated nature of health care, factors such as patient data privacy and security are vital for adoption. In the case of imitoCam, this factor was perceived as a facilitator, as the app offers a secure solution for clinical photo documentation, whereas other studies reported this as a barrier if data privacy and security could not be guaranteed [ 53 , 59 , 66 , 68 , 82 , 85 , 102 ]. Security requirements thus boost the adoptability of apps that can meet stringent requirements in this regard.…”

The Antecedents and Consequences of Health Care Professional–Patient Online Interactions: Systematic Review

“…For HCPs, patient education, career needs, and self-promotion were found to be the main factors that triggered them to participate in online interaction. More specifically, professionals saw patient education as a major driver of the use of online channels as tools [1,27,32-35,37], such as encouraging health behavioral changes and drug adherence, raising public awareness about specific health conditions, and eliminating misunderstandings about certain diseases. Moreover, career needs acted as a trigger for HCPs to provide online health care services [10,32,36-37], which in return provided them with opportunities for future career development.…”

Impact of mobile health and medical applications on clinical practice in gastroenterology

“…Less than half of responding physicians in a study in Lebanon believed that web-based apps and social media could be useful for patient-physician communication. The other half (47.5%) was strictly against the use of virtual forms of communication as they feared breaching privacy and confidentiality[ 103 ]. In another study, physicians who frequently used the internet for professional use were more likely to take a positive position towards the use of the internet for communication with patients[ 97 ].…”

“…Online consultation is a possible solution for people living in rural areas or working full time. Practitioners feared this might be more time consuming and a threat to confidentiality[ 103 ]. However, studies have reported that the length of telemedicine consultations did not differ from that of the in-person consultations[ 104 ]; in some instances, online consultations were even time saving[ 101 ].…”