Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30377148›Full record

ArticleJMIR mHealth and uHealth2018

The Web-Based Physician is Ready to See You: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey of Physicians Using a Mobile Medical App to Evaluate Patients With Sexually Transmitted Diseases in China.

Bolin Cao, Peipei Zhao, Cedric Bien-Gund, Weiming Tang, Jason J Ong, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Joseph D Tucker, Zhenzhou Luo

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.

Bolin Cao *Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8743-1361
Peipei Zhao *Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5399-3443
Cedric Bien-GundUniversity of North Carolina Project - China, Guangzhou, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0182-5680
Weiming TangUniversity of North Carolina Project - China, Guangzhou, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9026-707X
Jason J OngSocial Entrepreneurship to Spur Health, Guangzhou, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5784-7403
Thomas FitzpatrickSocial Entrepreneurship to Spur Health, Guangzhou, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0852-7291
Joseph D TuckerUniversity of North Carolina Project - China, Guangzhou, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2804-1181
Zhenzhou LuoShenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2106-8840
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · USShenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control · CNGuangzhou University · CNLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBShenzhen University · CN

Funding

Spurring Innovation in HIV Testing and Linkage: A Crowdsourcing Approach -Diversity SupplementR01AI114310 · NIAID · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI TUCKER, JOSEPH DAVID, WEI, CHONGYI · 2014 to 2018
$3.3M
NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI114310
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWeb-based medical service provision is increasingly becoming common. However, it remains unclear how physicians are responding to this trend and how Web-based and offline medical services are linked.

objectiveThe objectives of this study were to examine physicians' use of mobile medical apps for sexually transmitted disease (STD) consultations and identify the physicians who frequently use mobile medical apps to evaluate patients with STD.

methodsIn August 2017, we conducted a nationwide cross-sectional survey among physicians registered on a mobile medical app in China. We collected data on physicians' demographic information, institutional information, and Web-based medical practices. We compared physicians who used mobile medical apps to evaluate patients with STD frequently (at least once a week) with infrequent users. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify physicians who frequently evaluated patients with STD on mobile medical apps.

resultsA total of 501 physicians participated in the survey. Among them, three-quarters were men and the average age was 37.6 (SD 8.2) years. Nearly all physicians (492/501, 98.2%) recommended their last Web-based patient with STD to subsequently see a physician in the clinic. More than half (275/501, 54.9%) of physicians recommended STD testing to Web-based patients, and 43.9% (220/501) provided treatment advice to patients with STD. Of all physicians, 21.6% (108/501) used mobile medical apps to evaluate patients with STD through Web more than once a week. Overall, 85.2% (427/501) physicians conducted follow-up consultation for patients with STD using mobile medical apps. Physicians working at institutions with STD prevention materials were associated with frequent evaluation of patients with STD on mobile medical apps (adjusted odds ratio=2.10, 95% CI 1.18-3.74).

conclusionsPhysicians use mobile medical apps to provide a range of services, including Web-based pre- and posttreatment consultations and linkage to offline clinical services. The high rates of referral to clinics suggest that mobile medical apps are used to promote clinic-seeking, and not replace it. Physicians' use of mobile medical apps could benefit sexual minorities and others who avoid formal clinic-based services.

Indexed as

ChinamHealthmobile appmobile phonephysicianSTD

Identifiers

PMID30377148
PMCPMC6234337
OpenAlexW2889142675

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.