IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i5p4428-d1085096.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Digital Virtual Consultations and Improved Stakeholders’ Health and Wellbeing amongst Hospital Doctors

Author

Listed:
  • Dorothy Zammit

    (Department of Health Systems Management & Leadership, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta)

  • Gianpaolo Tomaselli

    (Department of Health Systems Management & Leadership, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta)

  • Sandra C. Buttigieg

    (Department of Health Systems Management & Leadership, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta)

  • Lalit Garg

    (Department of Computer Information Systems, Faculty of Information & Communication Technology, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta)

  • Gloria Macassa

    (Department of Public Health and Sports Science, Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, 801 76 Gävle, Sweden)

Abstract

The past several decades have seen a shift in patient care towards digitalisation, which has ushered in a new era of health care delivery and improved sustainability and resilience of health systems, with positive impacts on both internal and external stakeholders. This study’s aim was to understand the role of digital virtual consultations in improving internal and external stakeholders’ health, as well as wellbeing among hospital doctors. A qualitative research approach was used with semi-structured online interviews administered to hospital doctors. The interviews showed that the doctors viewed digital virtual consultations as supplementary to in-person consultations, and as tools to reduce obstacles related to distance and time. If the necessary infrastructure and technology were in place, doctors would be willing to use these options. Implementing these technologies would improve the medical profession’s flexibility on the one hand; but it might affect doctors’ work–life balance if consultations extended beyond standard working hours.

Suggested Citation

  • Dorothy Zammit & Gianpaolo Tomaselli & Sandra C. Buttigieg & Lalit Garg & Gloria Macassa, 2023. "Digital Virtual Consultations and Improved Stakeholders’ Health and Wellbeing amongst Hospital Doctors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-13, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:5:p:4428-:d:1085096
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/5/4428/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/5/4428/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Julie Cowie & Eileen Calveley & Gillian Bowers & John Bowers, 2018. "Evaluation of a Digital Consultation and Self-Care Advice Tool in Primary Care: A Multi-Methods Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-23, May.
    2. Marisa Faggini & Silvia Cosimato & Francesco David Nota & Giancarlo Nota, 2018. "Pursuing Sustainability for Healthcare through Digital Platforms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Diana Jiménez-Rodríguez & Azucena Santillán García & Jesús Montoro Robles & María del Mar Rodríguez Salvador & Francisco José Muñoz Ronda & Oscar Arrogante, 2020. "Increase in Video Consultations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Healthcare Professionals’ Perceptions about Their Implementation and Adequate Management," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-14, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Justyna Berniak-Woźny & Małgorzata Rataj, 2023. "Towards Green and Sustainable Healthcare: A Literature Review and Research Agenda for Green Leadership in the Healthcare Sector," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-18, January.
    2. Mudassar Ali Khan & Ikram Ud Din & Byung-Seo Kim & Ahmad Almogren, 2023. "Visualization of Remote Patient Monitoring System Based on Internet of Medical Things," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-15, May.
    3. Giancarlo Nota & Francesco David Nota & Domenico Peluso & Alonso Toro Lazo, 2020. "Energy Efficiency in Industry 4.0: The Case of Batch Production Processes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-28, August.
    4. Bo-Kyung Son & Takahiro Miura & Ken-ichiro Yabu & Yuka Sumikawa & Dongyool Kim & Weida Lyu & Yingxue Yang & Moeko Tanaka & Tomoki Tanaka & Yasuyo Yoshizawa & Katsuya Iijima, 2023. "The Co-Design/Co-Development and Evaluation of an Online Frailty Check Application for Older Adults: Participatory Action Research with Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(12), pages 1-14, June.
    5. Alicia Núñez & S. D. Sreeganga & Arkalgud Ramaprasad, 2021. "Access to Healthcare during COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-12, March.
    6. Norizzati Amsah & Zaleha Md Isa & Norfazilah Ahmad & Mohd Rizal Abdul Manaf, 2023. "Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Utilization among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-15, March.
    7. Maaike Meurs & Jelle Keuper & Valerie Sankatsing & Ronald Batenburg & Lilian van Tuyl, 2022. "“Get Used to the Fact That Some of the Care Is Really Going to Take Place in a Different Way”: General Practitioners’ Experiences with E-Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-15, April.
    8. Pokpong Amornvit & Sasiwimol Sanohkan, 2019. "The Accuracy of Digital Face Scans Obtained from 3D Scanners: An In Vitro Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-13, December.
    9. Antonella Ferro & Luigi Maria Preti & Claudio Eccher & Rosa Maimone, 2023. "Sviluppo ed applicazione di strumenti di telemedicina all?interno del percorso delle pazienti con tumore mammario in fase precoce: dalla diagnosi al follow-up," MECOSAN, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2023(127), pages 43-66.
    10. Velia Malizia & Giuliana Ferrante & Salvatore Fasola & Laura Montalbano & Giovanna Cilluffo & Stefania La Grutta, 2021. "New Technologies for Promoting Physical Activity in Healthy Children and in Children with Chronic Respiratory Diseases: A Narrative Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-14, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:5:p:4428-:d:1085096. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.