The Analysis of the Context of Digital Access to Healthcare in Russia

Abstract

Digital accessibility is one of the key principles of modern healthcare. The Internet has become a main tool to both communicate and engage patients. This study aims to analyze adults’ preferences on health information resources and the utilization of digital healthcare tools in Russia. The data were collected from the online survey conducted in August-September 2020. The association of factors with individual preferences was analyzed using Pearson’s χ2 with Holm–Bonferroni correction. The sample included 1319 respondents’ submissions. The most prioritized activity on the Internet among all the respondents was social media 64.1% (95% CI 61.4–66.6%). Females, those who are more educated, and more active Internet users were more likely to use all available sources to gather health information. Almost one-half of the respondents (48.0%; 95% CI 45.3–50.7%) reported that they did not use any digital tools to manage their medical appointments. Smartphones were more likely to be used by younger and more active Internet users, while personal computers were prioritized as the preferable device to access the Internet by males and older adults. The study revealed that both public health authorities and health providers must provide a wider range of information and digital interaction experiences appropriate to the needs and preferences of patients.

Coopetition, exploration and exploitation capabilities, and growth performance in digital healthcare ventures

“…Vertical coopetition is a relationship in which two companies cooperate in complementary ways at different stages of the value chain while competing horizontally in the end market with their respective products ( 15 ). Because the ventures lack certain knowledge or proficiency in certain technologies, they utilise their competitors’ expertise and resources to deliver the best end product or service to their customers ( 4 , 43 ). According to Lechner et al ( 29 ), vertical coopetition serves as a social capital source for a firm’s development, enabling access to more relevant resources and leveraging resource complementarities to boost sales growth.…”

“…Exploration capability empowers digital healthcare ventures to harness digital technologies to access new knowledge and resources, particularly quantifiable and real-time healthcare data and user-generated content. Ventures explore data resources’ potential through analytics, utilise big data to anticipate market trends and user needs, uncover new opportunities, and offer personalised, customised, and experiential digital healthcare services, culminating in exceptional service experiences ( 4 ). Ventures proficient in exploration thrive in the complex, dynamic, diverse, and uncertain digital healthcare landscape, ultimately improving growth performance ( 63 , 78 ).…”

“…Recently, these ventures have seen a significant surge in growth, capturing the attention of policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and healthcare professionals alike ( 1 , 2 ). The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst for this transformation, highlighting the essential role of digital innovations in public healthcare ( 3 , 4 ). Digital healthcare ventures help solve social problems such as the uneven distribution of healthcare resources and tensions between medical professionals and patients ( 5 ).…”