Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38566059›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2024

The use of medical health applications by primary care physicians in Israel: a cross-sectional study.

Menashe Meni Amran, Avital Bilitzky, Mattan Bar-Yishay, Limor Adler

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2024. 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
4.2field-weighted citation impact, top 6% 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, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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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

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Menashe Meni AmranBen-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. Amran_m@mac.org.il.
Avital BilitzkyBen-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Mattan Bar-YishayBen-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Limor AdlerDepartment of Family Medicine, Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev · ILTel Aviv University · IL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe use of medical health applications (mHealth apps) by patients, caregivers, and physicians is widespread. mHealth apps are often employed by physicians to quickly access professional knowledge, guide treatment, easily retrieve medical records, and monitor and manage patients. This study sought to characterize the use of mHealth apps among primary care physicians (PCPs) in Israel. The reasons for using apps and barriers to their use were also investigated.

methodsFrom all MHS' PCPs, we randomly selected 700 PCPs and invited them to complete a questionnaire regarding the use of mHealth apps and attitudes toward them.

resultsFrom August 2020 to December 2020, 191 physicians completed the questionnaire (response rate 27.3%). 68.0% of PCPs reported using mHealth apps. Telemedicine service apps were the most frequently used. Medical calculators (used for clinical scoring) and differential diagnosis apps were the least frequently used. The most common reason for mHealth app use was accessibility, followed by time saved and a sense of information reliability. Among infrequent users of apps, the most common barriers reported were unfamiliarity with relevant apps and preference for using a computer. Concerns regarding information reliability were rarely reported by PCPs. Physician gender and seniority were not related to mHealth app use. Physician age was related to the use of mHealth apps.

conclusionsmHealth apps are widely used by PCPs in this study, regardless of physician gender or seniority. Information from mHealth apps is considered reliable by PCPs. The main barrier to app use is unfamiliarity with relevant apps and preference for computer use.

Indexed as

Mobile ApplicationsPhysicians, Primary CareTelemedicineCross-Sectional StudiesHumansIsraelMiddle Eastern PeopleRandom AllocationReproducibility of ResultsAttitudesMedical health applicationsPrimary care physicians

Identifiers

PMID38566059
PMCPMC10988819
OpenAlexW4393537886

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.