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.

The Impact and Wider Implications of Remote Consultations for General Practice in Norway: Qualitative Study Among Norwegian Contract General Practitioners.

Background: The digital shift toward remote consultations in general practice needs ongoing monitoring to understand its impact on general practice organizations and the wider health care system.

Objective: This study aimed to explore how remote consultations impact on contracted general practitioner (GP) practices and how GPs perceive the implications of this uptake for the overall health care system.

Methods: In total, 5 focus groups were conducted with a total of 18 GPs from all 4 health regions of Norway in 2022.

Telerehabilitation Compared to Center-based Pulmonary Rehabilitation for People with Chronic Respiratory Disease: Economic Analysis of a Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial.

Rationale: New pulmonary rehabilitation models can improve access to this effective but underutilised treatment for people with chronic respiratory disease, however cost effectiveness has not been determined.

Objective: To compare the cost effectiveness of telerehabilitation, including videoconferencing and synchronous supervision, to standard center-based pulmonary rehabilitation.

Methods: Prospective economic analyses were undertaken from a societal perspective alongside a randomised controlled equivalence trial in which adults with stable chronic respiratory disease undertook an 8-week outpatient center-based program or telerehabilitation.

Security and Privacy in Physical Activity Chatbots on Social Media: A Scoping Review.

Background And Objective: Social media physical activity chatbots use both chatbots and social media platforms for physical activity promotion and, thus, could face privacy and security challenges inherent in both technologies. This study aims to provide an overview of physical activity chatbot interventions delivered via social media platforms, specifically focusing on security and privacy measures.

Methods: We conducted a scoping review on this topic across 4 databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, ACM Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore.

Patients' experiences with receiving sick leave certificates via remote consultations in Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide online survey.

Objectives: To explore patients' experiences with receiving sick leave certificates via remote consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate whether there were differences among the types of remote consultation (telephone, video or text).

Design: A nationwide online patient survey consisting of quantitative data supplemented by qualitative opinions conducted in Norway.

Setting: Primary care.

Adoption, acceptability and sustained use of digital interventions to promote physical activity among inactive adults: a mixed-method study.

Introduction: Despite the positive effects of physical activity (PA) to prevent lifestyle diseases and improve health and well-being, only one-third of Norwegian adults meet the minimum recommendations on PA. Digital interventions to promote PA in inactive adults may improve health and well-being by being available, personalized and adequate. Knowledge on users' adoption, acceptability and sustainability of digital interventions to promote PA is still limited.

Users' Experiences With Online Access to Electronic Health Records in Mental and Somatic Health Care: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Patient-accessible electronic health records (PAEHRs) hold promise for empowering patients, but their impact may vary between mental and somatic health care. Medical professionals and ethicists have expressed concerns about the potential challenges of PAEHRs for patients, especially those receiving mental health care.

Objective: This study aims to investigate variations in the experiences of online access to electronic health records (EHRs) among persons receiving mental and somatic health care, as well as to understand how these experiences and perceptions vary among those receiving mental health care at different levels of point of care.

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.

Feasibility of telerehabilitation for heart failure patients inaccessible for outpatient rehabilitation.

Aims: Despite strong recommendations, outpatient cardiac rehabilitation is underused in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. Possible barriers are frailty, accessibility, and rural living, which may be overcome by telerehabilitation. We designed a randomized, controlled trial to evaluate the feasibility of a 3-month real-time, home-based telerehabilitation, high-intensity exercise programme for CHF patients who are either unable or unwilling to participate in standard outpatient cardiac rehabilitation and to explore outcomes of self-efficacy and physical fitness at 3 months post-intervention.

Exploring Obese Adults' Preferences for a Physical Activity Chatbot: Qualitative Study.

Social media chatbots could help increase obese adults' physical activity behaviour. The study aims to explore obese adults' preferences for a physical activity chatbot. Individual- and focus group interviews will be conducted in 2023.

General Practitioners' Experiences With Potentials and Pitfalls of Video Consultations in Norway During the COVID-19 Lockdown: Qualitative Analysis of Free-Text Survey Answers.

Background: The use of video consultations (VCs) in Norwegian general practice rapidly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. During societal lockdowns, VCs were used for nearly all types of clinical problems, as in-person consultations were kept to a minimum.

Objective: This study aimed to explore general practitioners' (GPs') experiences of potentials and pitfalls associated with the use of VCs during the first pandemic lockdown.

Older patients' experiences of access to and use of e-consultations with the general practitioner in Norway: an interview study.

Objective: To explore older patients' experiences with accessing and using e-consultations to send text-based clinical inquiries to the general practitioner (GP) online.

Design: Qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews. Results were analysed through a six-phase thematic analysis and interpreted through Levesque's framework of patient-centred access to health care.

Perceived Autonomy Support in Telerehabilitation by People With Chronic Respiratory Disease: A Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Autonomy-supportive health environments can assist patients in achieving behavior change and can influence adherence positively. Telerehabilitation may increase access to rehabilitation services, but creating an autonomy-supportive environment may be challenging.

Research Question: To what degree does telerehabilitation provide an autonomy-supportive environment? What is the patient experience of an 8-week telerehabilitation program?

Study Design And Methods: Individuals undertaking telerehabilitation or center-based pulmonary rehabilitation within a larger randomized controlled equivalence trial completed the Health Care Climate Questionnaire (HCCQ; short form) to assess perceived autonomy support.

Long-term Telerehabilitation or Unsupervised Training at Home for Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Despite the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), many patients do not access or complete pulmonary rehabilitation, and long-term maintenance of exercise is difficult. To compare long-term telerehabilitation or unsupervised treadmill training at home with standard care. In an international randomized controlled trial, patients with COPD were assigned to three groups (telerehabilitation, unsupervised training, or control) and followed up for 2 years.

Digital interventions to promote physical activity among inactive adults: A study protocol for a hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality, and inactive adults have a higher risk to develop lifestyle diseases. To date, there is preliminary evidence of the efficacy of fitness technologies and other digital interventions for physical activity (PA) promotion. Intervention studies are needed to test the effectiveness and implementation of innovative PA promotion strategies.

mHealth interventions to reduce maternal and child mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia: A systematic literature review.

Background: Reducing maternal mortality, neonatal mortality and under 5-year mortality are important targets addressed by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Despite studies reported an improvement in maternal and child health indicators, the progress achieved is not uniform across regions. Due to the increasing availability of mobile phones in low and middle-income countries, mHealth could impact considerably on reducing maternal and child mortality and maximizing women's access to quality care, from the antenatal stage to the post-natal period.

Impact on patient-provider relationship and documentation practices when mental health patients access their electronic health records online: a qualitative study among health professionals in an outpatient setting.

Background: Patient accessible electronic health records (PAEHR) hold the potential to increase patient empowerment, especially for patients with complex, long-term or chronic conditions. However, evidence of its benefits for patients who undergo mental health treatment is unclear and inconsistent, and several concerns towards use of PAEHR emerged among health professionals. This study aimed at exploring the impact of PAEHR among mental health professionals in terms of patient-provider relationship, changes in the way of writing in the electronic health records and reasons for denying access to information.

Cardiorenal syndrome and the association with fitness: Data from a telerehabilitation randomized clinical trial.

Aims: To investigate the associations of cardiorespiratory fitness with cardiac, vascular, renal and cardiorenal characteristics in chronic heart failure in a telerehabilitation randomized clinical trial. Secondly, to evaluate the associations of cardiorenal syndrome with the effects of exercise.

Methods And Results: Sixty-nine heart failure patients attended baseline examination, and 61 patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to 3-month telerehabilitation or control.

Telerehabilitation for chronic respiratory disease: a randomised controlled equivalence trial.

Rationale: Pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective treatment for people with chronic respiratory disease but is delivered to <5% of eligible individuals. This study investigated whether home-based telerehabilitation was equivalent to centre-based pulmonary rehabilitation in people with chronic respiratory disease.

Methods: A multicentre randomised controlled trial with assessor blinding, powered for equivalence was undertaken.

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Little is known regarding community participation in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to explore community participation in individuals with COPD and to determine whether there is an association between community participation and activity-related outcome variables commonly collected during pulmonary rehabilitation assessment. We also sought to investigate which of these variables might influence community participation in people with COPD.

Telerehabilitation for chronic respiratory disease.

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation is a proven, effective intervention for people with chronic respiratory diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease (ILD) and bronchiectasis. However, relatively few people attend or complete a program, due to factors including a lack of programs, issues associated with travel and transport, and other health issues. Traditionally, pulmonary rehabilitation is delivered in-person on an outpatient basis at a hospital or other healthcare facility (referred to as centre-based pulmonary rehabilitation).

Suitability of Video Consultations During the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: Cross-sectional Survey Among Norwegian General Practitioners.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic imposed an acute, sharp rise in the use of video consultations (VCs) by general practitioners (GPs) in Norway.

Objective: This study aims to document GPs' experiences with the large-scale uptake of VCs in the natural experiment context of the pandemic.

Methods: A nationwide, cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Norwegian GPs during the pandemic lockdown (April 14-May 3, 2020).

Patients' use and experiences with e-consultation and other digital health services with their general practitioner in Norway: results from an online survey.

Objectives: To explore patients' use and experiences with four digital health services implemented in Norway to enable electronic communication between patients and their general practitioner (GP): (1) electronic booking of appointments; (2) electronic prescription renewal; (3) electronic contact with the GP's office for non-clinical inquiries; and (4) e-consultation for clinical inquiries.

Design: An online survey consisting of quantitative data supplemented by qualitative information was conducted to explore: (1) characteristics of the users; (2) use; (3) experiences, perceived benefits and satisfaction; and (4) time spent using the digital health services.

Setting: Primary care.