WhatsApp: Improvement tool for surgical team communication

Sidhoum, N.; Dast, S.; Abdulshakoor, Abeer; Assaf, N.; Herlin, Christian; Sinna, R.

doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2016.06.005

Cited by 25 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…New systems of remote consultation to improve referral procedures have already been introduced in the USA and United Kingdom [ 13 , 14 ]. Remote diagnostic consultation among clinicians is also occurring through “direct to consumer” smartphone applications such as WhatsApp [ 9 , 15 – 17 ]. In both instances of changed forms of consultations, little is known as to how the experts themselves experience these changes and whether they influence the nature of their role and interactions with colleagues in need of their expertise at point of care [ 18 , 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expectations of medical specialists about image-based teleconsultation – A qualitative study on acute burns in South Africa

2018

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BackgroundImage-based teleconsultation between medical experts and healthcare staff at remote emergency centres can improve the diagnosis of conditions which are challenging to assess. One such condition is burns. Knowledge is scarce regarding how medical experts perceive the influence of such teleconsultation on their roles and relations to colleagues at point of care.MethodsIn this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 medical experts to explore their expectations of a newly developed App for burns diagnostics and care prior to its implementation. Purposive sampling included male and female physicians at different stages of their career, employed at different referral hospitals and all potential future tele-experts in remote teleconsultation using the App. Positioning theory was used to analyse the data.ResultsThe experts are already facing changes in their diagnostic practices due to the informal use of open access applications like WhatsApp. Additional changes are expected when the new App is launched. Four positions of medical experts were identified in situations of diagnostic advice, two related to patient flow–clinical specialist and gatekeeper–and two to point of care staff–educator and mentor. The experts move flexibly between the positions during diagnostic practices with remote colleagues. A new position in relation to previous research on medical roles–the mentor–came to light in this setting. The App is expected to have an important educational impact, streamline the diagnostic process, improve both triage and referrals and be a more secure option for remote diagnosis compared to current practices. Verbal communication is however expected to remain important for certain situations, in particular those related to the mentor position.ConclusionThe quality and security of referrals are expected to be improved through the App but the medical experts see less potential for conveying moral support via the App during remote consultations. Experts’ reflections on remote consultations highlight the embedded social and cultural dimensions of implementing new technology.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expectations of medical specialists about image-based teleconsultation – A qualitative study on acute burns in South Africa

2018

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“…Another advantage mentioned was the speed of communication provided by the technology. This advantage was cited by only one of the respondents (12.5%) of this research, but was cited by most of the interviewees from other studies [22][23][24] .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…In addition, data shared using the application will not be registered in medical records, making it difficult to provide legal protection to the professional and the patient in the event of legal matters 24 . The absence of legal support was cited by 12.5% of respondents as one disadvantage of the exchange of messages in the interaction with patients.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

O uso do WhatsApp na relação médico-paciente

et al. 2018

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Resumo Este artigo descreve como o aplicativo WhatsApp é utilizado na relação entre pacientes e médicos do ambulatório de pediatria e obstetrícia da Fundação Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará, Brasil, e discute suas implicações éticas. Dados foram levantados em pesquisa de campo qualitativa por meio de questionário semiestruturado aplicado a oito médicos. Como resultado, observou-se que entre as situações de uso preferencial do WhatsApp citadas pelos respondentes está o esclarecimento de dúvidas (62,5%). Entre as desvantagens mencionadas pelos participantes está a banalização do uso desse tipo de serviço por parte dos pacientes (37,5%), e 62,5% acham que a utilização do aplicativo seja ética. Conclui-se que faltam pesquisas sobre o assunto e regulamentação do uso do aplicativo na área da saúde.

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“…After review of the titles and abstracts, 167 met the inclusion criteria and after full text review, 28 papers that addressed consent remained. Of the 28 papers, only 11 reported that written consent was obtained of which 5 were for taking photographs [2,6,[11][12][13], and 4 for sharing information with colleagues [2,[14][15][16]. Three papers reported obtaining verbal consent [12,17,18], one of which was for sharing patient information [17].…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Consent Not a Consideration for Instant Messaging?

Morris¹,

Scott²,

Mars³

2021

Studies in Health Technology and Informatics

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Background: Recently there has been a steady increase in the use of Instant Messaging (IM) as a means of providing health and healthcare services. This growth has been particularly rapid during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many reports indicate informal services using IM, in particular WhatsApp, have arisen spontaneously, in the absence of any formal guidelines and little consideration of consent. This study documents the consent practices of healthcare professionals using IM for clinical activities in District Hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and compares these practices with the literature. Methods: As part of a larger audit of telemedicine activity in KwaZulu-Natal a survey questioned clinicians’ use of IM, including consent practices and awareness of regulatory guidelines. Concomitantly multiple electronic databases were searched for papers on WhatsApp use in clinical service. Inclusion criteria were: papers written in English, reported on WhatsApp in clinical use or potential clinical use, and addressed consent. Results: The survey confirmed anecdotal reports of widespread informal use of WhatsApp in District Hospitals. Most clinicians were unaware of regulatory guidelines, and few obtained consent for taking photographs or sharing of images and information with colleagues for consultation. The literature review found that consent was mentioned in only 28 papers. Of these 11 reported that written consent was obtained, of which 5 were for taking photographs and 4 for sharing information with colleagues. Discussion: The survey showed that more than half of the respondents who used IM did not consider this to be telemedicine, with the corresponding ethical requirements governed by national guidelines, thereby risking legal exposure. However, South Africa’s regulatory guidelines do not align with common clinical practice. The literature shows that the majority of doctors shared patient information by IM without obtaining any form of consent. Conclusion: Practical guidelines are urgently required in South Africa and worldwide that balance practical conduct of medical care with sound contemporary ethical principles. Prudent guidance will ensure clinicians do not inadvertently breach patient privacy and confidentiality laws whilst permitting continued health-related use of instant messaging.

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WhatsApp: Improvement tool for surgical team communication

Cited by 25 publications

References 2 publications

Expectations of medical specialists about image-based teleconsultation – A qualitative study on acute burns in South Africa

Expectations of medical specialists about image-based teleconsultation – A qualitative study on acute burns in South Africa

O uso do WhatsApp na relação médico-paciente

Is Consent Not a Consideration for Instant Messaging?

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