The "Lazio ADVICE" telemedicine platform: First results of general practitioners' usage, facilitators and barriers in the Local Health Authority Roma 1

Andrea Barbara; Leonardo Villani; Paolo Lombardo; Paolo Parente; Antonella Gemma; Debora Angeletti; Tiziana Chiriaco; Antonio Mastromattei; Svetlana Akselrod; Mauro Goletti; Enrico Di Rosa; Corrado De Vito

doi:10.1177/20552076231174099

The "Lazio ADVICE" telemedicine platform: First results of general practitioners' usage, facilitators and barriers in the Local Health Authority Roma 1

Digit Health. 2023 May 24:9:20552076231174099. doi: 10.1177/20552076231174099. eCollection 2023 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
² Local Health Authority Roma 1, Rome, Italy.
³ Section of Hygiene - University Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
⁴ Local Health Authority Roma 3, Rome, Italy.
⁵ Integrated Territorial Network Area of the Regional Health and Social Health Integration Directorate, Regione Lazio, Italy.
⁶ World Health Organization, Geneva 27, Switzerland.

Abstract

Background: Telemedical approaches represent a valuable tool for the management of coronavirus disease 2019 patients, allowing daily clinical assessment, monitoring of vital parameters, remote visits, and prescription of treatment or hospitalization in case of clinical worsening. This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the use, barriers and facilitators of the "Lazio ADVICE" telemedical platform, a regional system for remote assistance for coronavirus disease 2019 patients at home, according to General Practitioners and Family Pediatricians of the Local Health Authority Roma 1, during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Methods: An interview-based survey was performed between December 2020 and January 2021. The survey investigated the demographic information of General Practitioner and Family Pediatricians, the knowledge of the platform, frequency of utilization, usefulness, strengths and weaknesses, and hypothesis of future implementation proposed.

Results: We interviewed 214 physicians and 89 (41.6%) were classified as users and 125 (58.4%) as non-users. Older age and working in District 1, 14 and 15 (vs. District 13) significantly reduced the probability of using the platform physician. Among the 89 users, 19 (21.3%) used the platform every day or even several times a day, 40 (44.9%) several times a week but less than one access per day, 30 (33.7%) used the platform several times a month up to one entry per week. Most of them (92.3%) consider the platform useful. Barriers were poor integration with software and work routine (76.4%), and usability issues (53.9%). Among the 125 non-users, 14 (11.2%) didn't know the existence of the platform, 60 (48.0%) never tried it and 51 (40.8%) tried to use it. Reported reasons for the interruption of use were not very user-friendly (45.1%), perceived useless (37.3%), non-optimal functioning (23.5%), and lack of time (19.6%).

Conclusion: The pandemic accelerated the implementation of telemedicine services around Lazio Region, starting a positive and continuous exchange of experiences, activities and best practices among physicians.

Keywords: Telemedicine; barriers; coronavirus disease 2019; facilitators; primary care.