Research on the strategy of implementing shared decision making between doctors and patients in internet hospital diagnosis and treatment services based on patients’ needs (Preprint)

Abstract

Internet hospitals are developing rapidly in China, and their convenient and efficient medical services are recognized by more and more patients. How to carry out SDM between doctors and patients in internet hospital diagnosis and treatment services and improve patients' medical experience is a way to further improve online medical service.

To study the strategy of implementing doctor-patient SDM in internet hospital diagnosis and treatment services based on patients’ needs.

The chi-square test is used to analyze the patient characteristics and medical service needs of internet hospital patients, so as to determine the needs for SDM between doctors and patients of internet hospitals.

Internet hospital patients from 10 clinical departments are significantly different in gender (χ2value 3424.34, P value 0), age (χ2 value 27.75.81, P value 0), mode of payment (χ2 value 3501.1, P value 0), geographical distribution (χ2 value 347.15, P value 0), and duration of illness (χ2 value 2863.3, P value 0). Patient medical needs include prescribing drugs, prescribing examinations, explanation of medical records, instruction in drug use, preparations before hospitalization, further consultation with doctors (unspecified purpose), treatment plan consultation, initial diagnosis based on symptoms, and follow-up and subsequent consultation after discharge. The medical needs of patients in different clinical departments show significant difference (χ2 value 8465.52, P value 0).

Internet hospitals provide a good information platform, and most of the patients admitted by internet hospitals are patients with mild and chronic diseases, which is conducive to SDM between doctors and patients. In the process of implementing doctor-patient SDM, differentiated strategies should be adopted, focusing on patients whose diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up diagnosis are unclear, guiding patients to engage in doctor-patient SDM, and emphasizing the development of doctor-patient SDM assistance tools at the clinical department level and enhancing the policy support and promotion of SDM between doctors and patients at the hospital level.