The problem of trust in innovative ICT technologies used in e-health systems. The case study of private health care units located in Szczecin

Abstract

The issue of public health has been an essential part of the concept of sustainable development for a number of years, which is reflected, among others, in the EU strategic documents. The implementation of programs to improve health and quality of life as well as ensuring the stability or efficiency of health care systems is currently supported by various types of digital technologies. The so-called e-health systems have come into being and are becoming more and more popular. The COVID-19 pandemic has additionally highlighted an inevitable need for the development of innovative manners and tools to increase access to health care which use a variety of ICT-based solutions.Therefore, the objective of the article is an attempt to respond to the question about the attitudes of patients and doctors to the so-called e-health systems, and in particular, to what extent they trust them. The authors used critical review of relevant literature and in-depth interviews to carry out the research in private health care units located in Szczecin. The survey covered two groups of patients and doctors of the above-mentioned units.The conducted research has indicated that although the surveyed patients and doctors use digital e-health systems and are positive about them, the level of trust in selected technologies varies. The conclusions of the conducted analyses confirm that the challenges underlying the digitization and popularization of e-health systems are not only technical since they are rooted and linked to the need to create a high level of trust in such systems, which is the foundation for the ethical and effective use of new digital tools in the context of increased awareness and the more active role of patients in the treatment process. Therefore, there is a need to take specific actions aimed at increasing the level of trust in digital technologies used in selected areas by both doctors and patients, which is the condition for the popularization of innovative services provided under e-health systems.