Information Systems and Healthcare XXXVIII: Virus Outbreak─Online GP Consultations Escalating Healthcare Costs

Abstract

This article presents a study on the impacts of the uptake of online doctor consultations in Denmark. Drawing on a typology of e-consultations and online patient fora, we provide and discuss a number of scenarios of the financial and managerial impacts of the uptake of e-consultations for the period 2009–2013. The study is based on quantitative data from the national statistics database for the period 2003–2008, and qualitative data from interviews with key actors in the Danish national healthcare system. Findings indicate that the digitalization of consultations and the lack of substitution between e-consultations and physical and phone doctor consultations leads to increases in total costs, not reductions. The results call for further research on the emerging adoption of user-centered platforms, such as Web 2.0 applications, in the healthcare area.