Opportunities and Challenges of Digitalization in Rehabilitation: Results of a Survey of Rehabilitation Facilities

Abstract

The aim of this study was to measure the status of digitalization and the opportunities and challenges for rehabilitation facilities connected to telematics infrastructure. A partially standardized online survey of all providers of rehabilitation facilities in Bavaria (n=33) was carried out. The questionnaire with 36 questions included a scale based on the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM). The level of digitization was reported as level 0 in 70% of the rehabilitation facilities (level model to 7). The transmission of patient-related data (incoming and outgoing) is often analogue, whereas the processing within the facility is already predominantly digital in many cases. When connecting to the telematics infrastructure, installation, training of staff and adaptation of work organization required quite a bit of effort. Changes in the legal-financial situation in Germany open up new opportunities for increased digitalization of rehabilitation facilities. Hurdles are related to IT security requirements, staff training, and the low level of digitalization in hospitals, among doctors, and patients, which make digital data transmission difficult.