University affiliation
Lund University
Main supervisor
Veronica Milos Nymberg, Associate professor
PhD project participating in the National Research School in General Medicine.
Inequity in access to healthcare is a global problem which leads to preventable morbidity and unnecessary costs for healthcare. Inequity in access to healthcare could increase with the implementation of digital doctors’ appointments not supported by evidence. The purpose of the project is to guide resource allocation by investigating how access to healthcare has changed during the time for the implementation of digital doctors’ appointments in primary healthcare in Region Scania, Sweden.
Equity in access to primary healthcare is needed to minimize individual and societal consequences of inequity in health.
Previous studies of the private sector’s use of digital doctors’ appointments have shown increased access mainly for those with a lower need for healthcare (e.g. young age, high income). Despite this, publicly operated primary healthcare in Sweden has implemented similar digital services on a large scale (e.g. 1177 Direct and Primary Healthcare Scania Online).
To date, it is uncertain which population groups benefit from this large-scale digitalization reform and if it risks a shift in recourse allocation negatively affecting priority based on need, with decreased equity in health as a consequence.
Aim
To answer the question “In what way have 1177 Direct and Primary Healthcare Scania Online affected the utilization of publicly operated primary and emergency healthcare, generally and based on social factors and morbidity?”
The overall aim is to contribute with knowledge to help guide decisions on resource allocation in favor of a more equitable access to primary healthcare.
Method
The project uses individual data from the entire population of Region Scania in Sweden to investigate the relationships between healthcare utilization and specific social factors and morbidity.
To investigate how the digital services have affected healthcare utilization, the project includes longitudinal studies and uses privately operated primary healthcare (with alternative digital services) as comparison.
Regression analysis and stratification of data is used to investigate direct and intersectional relationships.
Relevance
The large-scale implementations of digital doctors’ appointments in primary healthcare have the potential to affect entire populations and the development is fast and precedes evidence. It is therefore of the utmost importance to investigate.
The results can guide healthcare organizations to allocate resources based on need and reduce a prevailing global problem, inequity in health. The potential benefits are improved access to healthcare based on need, reduced morbidity in the population and reduced costs for healthcare.
University affiliation
Lund University
Main supervisor
Veronica Milos Nymberg, Associate professor