Attitudes towards e-Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Untangling the Gordian Knot in Greece, Bulgaria and Romania in Healthcare Professionals and Students?

Background: Until recent times, healthcare specialists lagged behind other fields in terms of computer networks and software usage, partly because they were uncomfortable with information and communication technologies. The rapid development of personal wearables, their easier connections with smartphones and other similar devices, and the possibilities of online or cloud storage of personal medical data led to improvements of eHealth services in terms of ease of access and reduced costs of delivery.

Subjects And Methods: The current research aimed to fill a research gap regarding attitudes towards e-Health during the COVID-19 pandemic in three Balkan countries: Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania. A total number of 775 adult participants (healthcare professionals and students in the field) were contacted in the winter of 2020 and asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their e-Health attitudes.

Results: The Greek participants had the most negative attitudes toward e-Health services. This may be due to forced use of eHealth applications during the pandemic crisis and the need for mastering the necessary technical skills to use them.

Conclusions: It should be noted that in the scientific literature no research is found on this topic, therefore it is the first study aimed to assessing and comparing attitudes towards eHealth in these countries.