Patients' Use of e-Consultations as an Alternative to Other General Practitioner Services: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Background: e-Consultations, defined as asynchronous text-based messaging, have transformed how patients interact with their general practitioner (GP). While e-consultations can improve patient access to GP care, concerns about increased workload for GPs are raised.

Objective: This study aimed to address three research questions: (1) For what purpose and with what expectations do patients initiate e-consultations? (2) If e-consultations had not been available, what alternative actions would the patient have taken? and (3) How are the alternative actions associated with patient and e-consultation characteristics?

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through a web-based survey on Helsenorge.

Patients' suggestions for improvements to text-based e-consultations. An online survey of users of the national health portal in Norway.

Background: In recent years, text-based e-consultations have been widely implemented in general practice and are appreciated by patients for their convenience and efficiency. Policymakers aim to enhance patient access to clinical services with the general practitioner (GP) through text-based e-consultations. However, concerns are raised about their efficiency and security.

A Trial-Based Cost-Utility Analysis of a Medication Optimization Intervention Versus Standard Care in Older Adults.

Background: Older adults are at greater risk of medication-related harm than younger adults. The Integrated Medication Management model is an interdisciplinary method aiming to optimize medication therapy and improve patient outcomes.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the cost effectiveness of a medication optimization intervention compared to standard care in acutely hospitalized older adults.

Suitability of issuing sickness certifications in remote consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed method study of GPs' experiences.

Objective: To explore Norwegian GPs' experiences with and perceived suitability of issuing sickness certifications in remote consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design: We used a mixed methods research design. An online survey with 301 respondents was combined with qualitative interviews with ten GPs.

Older high-cost patients in Norwegian somatic hospitals: a register-based study of patient characteristics.

Objective: Two-thirds of the economic resources in Norwegian hospitals are used on 10% of the patients. Most of these high-cost patients are older adults, which experience more unplanned hospital admissions, longer hospital stays and higher readmission rates than other patients. This study aims to examine the individual and clinical characteristics of older patients with unplanned admissions to Norwegian somatic hospitals and how these characteristics differ between high-cost and low-cost older patients.

Internet Use for Obtaining Medicine Information: Cross-sectional Survey.

Background: The internet is increasingly being used as a source of medicine-related information. People want information to facilitate decision-making and self-management, and they tend to prefer the internet for ease of access. However, it is widely acknowledged that the quality of web-based information varies.

Implementation of E-prescription for Multidose Dispensed Drugs: Qualitative Study of General Practitioners' Experiences.

Background: Increased use of pharmaceuticals challenges both capacity and safety related to medication management for patients and changes in how general practitioners (GPs) and other health personnel interact with and follow up with patients. E-prescribing of multidose drug dispensing (eMDD) is 1 of the national measures being tested in Norway.

Objective: The objective of this study is to explore GPs' experiences with the challenges and benefits of implementing eMDD in Norway.

Implementation of a shared medication list in primary care - a controlled pre-post study of medication discrepancies.

Background: Access to medicines information is important when treating patients, yet discrepancies in medication records are common. Many countries are developing shared medication lists across health care providers. These systems can improve information sharing, but little is known about how they affect the need for medication reconciliation.

From Paper to E-Prescribing of Multidose Drug Dispensing: A Qualitative Study of Workflow in a Community Care Setting.

E-prescribing is now widespread and, in some countries, has completely replaced paper prescriptions. In Norway, almost all prescribing is electronic, except for multidose drug dispensing (MDD), which is still sent to the pharmacy by fax or ordinary mail. MDD is an adherence aid used by one-third of all patients receiving home care services.

Potentially inappropriate prescribing to older patients receiving multidose drug dispensing.

Background: Multidose drug dispensing (MDD) is an adherence aid that provides patients with machine-dispensed medicines in disposable unit bags, usually for a 14 day period. Previous studies have suggested that the quality of prescribing, with time, is lower for MDD users, compared to patients receiving prescriptions dispensed as usual. This study aimed to examine the quality of prescribing to Norwegian elderly home care service patients receiving MDD.

Clinical Videoconferencing as eHealth: A Critical-Realist Review and Qualitative Meta-Synthesis.

Background: Earlier work has described videoconferencing technologies, peripheral equipment, organizational models, human relations, purposes, goals and roles as versatile, multifaceted, and those used differently in different clinical practices. Knowledge about benefits and challenges connected to specific characteristics of services are lacking. A 2005 systematic review of published definitions of electronic health (eHealth) identified 51 unique definitions.

Methods to Evaluate the Effects of Internet-Based Digital Health Interventions for Citizens: Systematic Review of Reviews.

Background: Digital health can empower citizens to manage their health and address health care system problems including poor access, uncoordinated care and increasing costs. Digital health interventions are typically complex interventions. Therefore, evaluations present methodological challenges.

How to Measure Costs and Benefits of eHealth Interventions: An Overview of Methods and Frameworks.

Information on the costs and benefits of eHealth interventions is needed, not only to document value for money and to support decision making in the field, but also to form the basis for developing business models and to facilitate payment systems to support large-scale services. In the absence of solid evidence of its effects, key decision makers may doubt the effectiveness, which, in turn, limits investment in, and the long-term integration of, eHealth services. However, it is not realistic to conduct economic evaluations of all eHealth applications and services in all situations, so we need to be able to generalize from those we do conduct.

Low-intensity self-management intervention for persons with type 2 diabetes using a mobile phone-based diabetes diary, with and without health counseling and motivational interviewing: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The present study protocol is designed to cover the Norwegian part of the European Union Collaborative Project-REgioNs of Europe WorkINg together for HEALTH (RENEWING HEALTH). Self-management support is an important element of care for persons with type 2 diabetes (T2D) for achieving metabolic control and positive lifestyle changes. Telemedicine (TM) with or without health counseling may become an important technological aid for self-management and may provide a user-centered model of care.

Patients' willingness to pay for electronic communication with their general practitioner.

Despite the common use of electronic communication in other aspects of everyday life, its use between patients and health care providers has been slow to diffuse. Possible explanations are security issues and lack of payment mechanisms. This study investigated how patients value secure electronic access to their general practitioner (GP).