Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen (DiGA) in der ärztlichen und psychotherapeutischen Versorgung. Chancen und Herausforderungen aus Sicht der Leistungserbringer

Acceptance of E-Mental Health Services for Different Application Purposes Among Psychotherapists in Clinical Training in Germany and Switzerland: Secondary Analysis of a Cross-Sectional Survey

“…In general, acceptance of psychotherapy via videoconference was highest, while acceptance of unguided programs was lowest. This is in line with Gerlinger et al ( 38 ), who could show that healthcare providers are, in principle, receptive to the possibilities of such unguided programs. However, from the healthcare providers' point of view, the preconditions for a successful integration into the healthcare system are not yet fulfilled.…”

“…Nevertheless, when looking at acceptance rates across different application purposes, our results show that guided and unguided EMH programs were specifically well accepted in preventive care, even more so than all other services including synchronous interactions between the patient and therapist via videoconference or telephone. In fact, prior research has demonstrated that unguided and guided EMH programs such as medical apps are perceived as being helpful for the promotion of patient empowerment by physicians and psychotherapists ( 38 ) which has been shown to be related to health status in the general population ( 77 ). Concerning prevention and health promotion purposes, there seems to be a greater emphasis on self-help activities (e.g., help for self-help), which could be well supported by structured self-help programs, such as stress management trainings, mental health apps and early interventions.…”

“…Results revealed that only 11% of the sample received a form of training, however, only half of these training programs were specific to EMH and lasted just <4 h in every second case. In accordance, Gerlinger et al (38) indicate that mental health workers do not feel well informed about possible benefits and risks of EMH services, while only few have already gained practical experience with EMH services (97,98).…”

“…Performance expectancy is supposed to be the strongest predictor ( 9 ), representing beliefs of relative advantage or usefulness of the technical service. Beyond these well documented UTAUT factors, other predictors of EMH acceptance that have been suggested by research, are personal experience with EMH and electronic health (eHealth) literacy (i.e., the ability to find, evaluate, and utilize internet-based health information) ( 35 , 36 ), knowledge about EMH services ( 30 , 37 ) and the perceived evidence base on the effectiveness of EMH services ( 38 ).…”

“…This therapeutic approach has been shown to be effective in reducing anxiety disorders ( 53 ), depressive symptoms ( 23 ), suicidal ideation ( 54 ) or insomnia ( 55 ). In Germany, medical apps can be prescribed by physicians for self-help purposes, aftercare or relapse prevention ( 38 , 56 ). In Switzerland, medical apps are similarly used, expanding their traditional health care system ( 57 ).…”