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Interpreting technology: use and non-use of doctor-patient video consultations in Danish general practice

Interpreting technology: use and non-use of doctor-patient video consultations in Danish general practice
Interpreting technology: use and non-use of doctor-patient video consultations in Danish general practice

This study uses socio-cognitive theory on technological frames to understand how and why general practitioners in Denmark use or choose not to use video consultations. Video consultations play a vital role in the digitalisation of the Danish healthcare system. Whilst political decision-makers continuously push for increased use of video consultations, uptake accounts for less than 2% of all consultations. Research is needed that explores the actual circumstances and conditions of video consultation use. Our data corpus consists of 30 semi-structured interviews conducted from August 2021 to August 2022 with 27 Danish general practitioners. Interviews were analysed following reflexive thematic analysis. Our findings show that video consultations are interpreted as 1) compromising occupational values, 2) a crisis tool, 3) the future, and 4) a tool to improve work conditions. Video consultations are differently adopted across clinics due to different interpretations of the technology and its relative advantage in specific clinical contexts. We argue that the concept of technological frames offers a useful analytic perspective for elucidating and anticipating attitudes and actions towards a technology. It increases our understanding of the uptake and rejection of video consultations. This knowledge is valuable for clinicians and politicians working with technological innovation in general practice.

Humans, General Practice, General Practitioners, Referral and Consultation, Telemedicine, Denmark
0277-9536
Lüchau, Elle Christine
c041b57f-71ec-4d58-9dc3-6b398918ab94
Atherton, Helen
9bb8932e-7bb7-4781-ab97-114613de99b1
Olesen, Finn
8b3128cb-2953-451e-baa9-6cf61fc685a6
Søndergaard, Jens
41416d1e-da78-4d56-8424-b85946d6a7b2
Assing Hvidt, Elisabeth
c36b0943-7d19-4b1d-91cb-b57b6d31a108
Lüchau, Elle Christine
c041b57f-71ec-4d58-9dc3-6b398918ab94
Atherton, Helen
9bb8932e-7bb7-4781-ab97-114613de99b1
Olesen, Finn
8b3128cb-2953-451e-baa9-6cf61fc685a6
Søndergaard, Jens
41416d1e-da78-4d56-8424-b85946d6a7b2
Assing Hvidt, Elisabeth
c36b0943-7d19-4b1d-91cb-b57b6d31a108

Lüchau, Elle Christine, Atherton, Helen, Olesen, Finn, Søndergaard, Jens and Assing Hvidt, Elisabeth (2023) Interpreting technology: use and non-use of doctor-patient video consultations in Danish general practice. Social Science & Medicine, 334, [116215]. (doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116215).

Record type: Article

Abstract

This study uses socio-cognitive theory on technological frames to understand how and why general practitioners in Denmark use or choose not to use video consultations. Video consultations play a vital role in the digitalisation of the Danish healthcare system. Whilst political decision-makers continuously push for increased use of video consultations, uptake accounts for less than 2% of all consultations. Research is needed that explores the actual circumstances and conditions of video consultation use. Our data corpus consists of 30 semi-structured interviews conducted from August 2021 to August 2022 with 27 Danish general practitioners. Interviews were analysed following reflexive thematic analysis. Our findings show that video consultations are interpreted as 1) compromising occupational values, 2) a crisis tool, 3) the future, and 4) a tool to improve work conditions. Video consultations are differently adopted across clinics due to different interpretations of the technology and its relative advantage in specific clinical contexts. We argue that the concept of technological frames offers a useful analytic perspective for elucidating and anticipating attitudes and actions towards a technology. It increases our understanding of the uptake and rejection of video consultations. This knowledge is valuable for clinicians and politicians working with technological innovation in general practice.

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Accepted/In Press date: 1 September 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 4 September 2023
Published date: 1 October 2023
Additional Information: Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Humans, General Practice, General Practitioners, Referral and Consultation, Telemedicine, Denmark

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 487271
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/487271
ISSN: 0277-9536
PURE UUID: 29951b97-c785-4a53-82f3-684d4b0ac013
ORCID for Helen Atherton: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-7072-1925

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Date deposited: 16 Feb 2024 17:15
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 04:18

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Contributors

Author: Elle Christine Lüchau
Author: Helen Atherton ORCID iD
Author: Finn Olesen
Author: Jens Søndergaard
Author: Elisabeth Assing Hvidt

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