Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39699948›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2024

Dimensions and Subcategories of Digital Maturity in General Practice: Qualitative Study.

Timo Neunaber, Achim Mortsiefer, Sven Meister

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of medical Internet 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
–field-weighted citation impact
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

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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.

  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

3 authors.

Timo NeunaberHealth Care Informatics, Faculty of Health, School of Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-9787-9805
Achim MortsieferGeneral Practice II and Patient-Centeredness in Primary Care, Institute of General Practice and Primary Care, Faculty of Health, School of Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-9901-1727
Sven MeisterHealth Care Informatics, Faculty of Health, School of Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-0522-986X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe status of the digitalization of companies and institutions is usually measured using maturity models. However, the concept of maturity in general practice is currently unclear, and herewith we examine the question of how maturity can be measured. There is a lack of empirical work on the dimensions and subcategories of digital maturity that provide information on the assessment framework.

objectiveThe aim of the study was to answer the question of how many and which dimensions and subcategories describe digital maturity in general practice.

methodsAn explorative, qualitative research design based on semistructured expert interviews was used to investigate the dimensions of digital maturity. Twenty experts from various areas of the health care sector (care providers, interest groups, health care industry, and patient organizations) were interviewed. The interviews were analyzed based on a content-structuring analysis according to Kuckartz and Rädiker using MAXQDA software (VERBI GmbH).

resultsIn total, 6 dimensions with a total of 26 subcategories were identified. Of these, 4 dimensions with a total of 16 subcategories (1) digitally supported processes, (2) practice staff, (3) organizational structures and rules, and (4) technical infrastructure and were deductively linked to digital maturity. In addition to the use of digital solutions, digital maturity included, for example, individual, organizational, and technical capabilities and resources of the medical practice. The 2 further dimensions, (5) benefits and outcomes and (6) external framework conditions of the medical practice, were identified inductively with a total of 10 subcategories. Digital maturity was associated with the beneficial use of digitalization, for example, with efficiency benefits for the practice, and external framework conditions were associated with influencing factors such as the local patient situation in the medical practice.

conclusionsThe results indicate that digital maturity is a multidimensional construct that is associated with many dimensions and variables. It is a holistic approach with human, organizational, and technical factors and concerns the way digitalization is used to shape patient care and processes. Furthermore, it is related to the maturity of the organizational environment as well as the benefits of a digitalized medical practice; however, this still needs to be confirmed. To measure the level of digital maturity in outpatient care as accurately as possible, maturity models should therefore be multilayered and take external influencing factors into account. Future research should statistically validate the identified dimensions. At the same time, correlations and dependencies between the measurement dimensions and their subcategories should be analyzed.

Indexed as

General PracticeQualitative ResearchHumanscare providercontent analysisdigital healthdigital maturitydimensioneHealthexpertexpert interviewsexplorativegeneral practicegeneral practitionerinterviewmaturity assessmentprimary carequalitative researchsubcategory

Identifiers

PMID39699948
PMCPMC11695950

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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.