Use of Instant Messaging Applications by General Practitioners During Overseas Deployment: A Survey of the French Military Health Service

Abstract

Introduction Instant messaging applications (MAs) represent a major component of modern telecommunications for data transmission. During overseas deployments, military doctors increasingly rely on MAs due to their availability and the urgent need to obtain advice from specialists for optimal patient management. In this study, we aimed to describe and analyze the context and usage characteristics of these MAs for transmitting medical data by military general practitioners (GPs) during overseas missions. Materials and Methods This observational study was conducted between June 2020 and December 2020, based on a survey sent to GPs from the French Military Health Service who had been deployed overseas in military operations between 2010 and 2020. Results We received 233 surveys of which 215 were analyzed. Among these, 141 military GPs used instant MAs to transmit medical data during deployment. Notably, WhatsApp was used by 97% of the participants. The military GPs mainly used these applications for the speed of exchanges (45%) and their ease of use (28%). The physician specialties predominantly involved in data sharing were trauma and orthopedic surgery (38%) and dermatology (31%). The correspondents were mainly military specialist physicians from French military teaching hospitals (85%). A response time of less than 1 h was reported in 78% of the cases. Additionally, 72 doctors (51%) undertook their last deployment in an isolated post. Conclusion MAs were extensively utilized communication tools among GPs during their overseas deployments. Although the use of these applications seems essential in telemedicine, it raises several legal and ethical questions. Thus, we recommend employing these tools while ensuring medical and military confidentiality.