General and dermatological population's use and acceptance of digital health in Germany – a representative survey

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Adoption and acceptance of digital health services (DHS) in the German population and in persons with skin diseases is unclear. Both factors were analyzed in this survey. Methods: A standardized survey with items on digital competences and attitudes, use and acceptance of DHS was applied to a representative sample of the German adult population. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Results: Out of 2,101 participants, 29.9% reported having had skin diseases in the last 12 months. Among them, adoption and acceptance were at 43.6% and 52.3%, respectively. Both values are significantly higher compared to participants without skin diseases (29.2%; p < 0.01 and 45.5%; p < 0.01). 18.9% of participants with a skin disease used digital diagnostic support, but only 9.7% applied it for a skin disease (p < 0.01). For all participants, with and without skin disease, the DHS most commonly used were passive health monitoring (14.3%) and diagnostic support (11.5%), telemedicine was least used (4.7% video-consultation, 2.5% store-and-forward). Use and acceptance were associated with young age, education, low data privacy concerns, digital confidence, having a skin disease, and high severity of skin disease. Conclusions: DHS for skin diseases are used rarely but have a high potential.