In The Labyrinth of e-Health: Exploring Attitudes towards e-Health in Greece

Abstract

Introduction e-Health has been recognized as a rapidly evolving component of healthcare in the 21 st century. e-Health has various definitions, and one of the most widespread is the one reported by the World Health Organization [1]: 'the transfer of health resources and healthcare by electronic means… It encompasses the delivery of health information for health professionals and health consumers, through the Internet and communications'. Although numerous studies in different countries have examined e-Health and the influence that literacy may have on relevant attitudes [2-4] as well as the cognitive (e.g. perceived ability) and emotional factors (e.g. confidence) that may influence these attitudes in healthcare professionals [5] still there is little systematic research examining healthcare students, professionals and laypeople attitudes towards e-Health in Greece [6]. The aim of this study focuses on the question 'What are the attitudes towards e-Health in Greek students, doctors and laypeople?'. More specifically, given the importance of the influence of demographic factors on attitudes towards eHealth [7-10], a hypothesis that is tested here examines whether age, education and gender differentiate these attitudes between individuals. Methods Three hundred eighty participants, including one hundred eighty first-year healthcare university students from various faculties including medicine, pharmacy, biology, nursing, physiotherapy, midwifery, healthcare engineers (72 male, 108 female; Mean age = 19.01, SD = .074), one hundred medical doctors of various specialties working in hospitals and private practice (64 male, 46 female; Mean age =39.32, SD = 8.73; Mean education = 18.00, SD = .001), and one hundred laypeople (66 male, 34 female; Mean age = 54.65, SD = 10.23; Mean education = 13.05, SD = 3.75) living in different Greek geographical areas, completed a modified version of the Attitude Towards e-Health questionnaire along with a detailed demographics questionnaire. The samples had to have at least three years of experience with computers and internet applications in order to avoid any influences of lack of computer literacy in the reported attitudes. The participants were selected based on two inclusion criteria: Abstract Background: Attitudes towards e-Health have been little investigated in Greece in the general population as well as in healthcare students and professionals, while at the same time undergraduate curricula with focus on e-Health are entirely missing.