ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Connected mental health (CMH) is a field presenting information and communications technology-based mental care interventions that could help overcome many mental care delivery barriers. Culture and background influence people's attitudes, preferences, and acceptance of such solutions. Therefore, the suitability of CMH solutions to the targeted population is an important factor in their successful adoption. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to develop a framework for the design and creation of CMH solutions suitable for the UAE context. The framework is based on investigating enablers and barriers of CMH adoption in the United Arab Emirates, from the mental health professional's (MHP) perspective and from related literature. METHODS: A survey of literature on relevant studies addressing the use of technology for mental care in Arab countries, and a web-based questionnaire-based survey with 17 MHPs practicing in the United Arab Emirates investigating their attitudes and views toward CMH was conducted. Results from the questionnaire and from related studies were analyzed to develop the design framework. RESULTS: On the basis of findings from the literature survey and analyzing MHP answers to the web-based survey, a framework for the design of CMH solutions for the UAE population was developed. The framework presents four types of recommendation categories: favorable criteria, which included blended care, anonymity, and ease of use; cultural factors including availability in multiple languages, mainly Arabic and English, in addition to religious and cultural considerations; technical considerations, including good-quality communication, availability in formats compatible with mobile phones, and providing technical support; and users' health and data safety considerations, including users' suitability testing, confidentiality, and ensuring MHP integrity. CONCLUSIONS: CMH has the potential to help overcome many mental care barriers in the United Arab Emirates in particular and in the Arab world in general. CMH adoption in the United Arab Emirates has a potential for success. However, many factors should be taken into account, mainly cultural, religious, and linguistic aspects.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Covid-19 pandemic has boosted digitalization in healthcare, as mobility restrictions and social distancing rules have made healthcare providers to adopt digital tools to replace or complement face-to-face interactions. PURPOSE: We discuss the effects of Covid-19 pandemic on physicians' use of digital media. We examine whether Covid-19 conditions have changed how physicians use internet resources for information search, how they engage in social media, and their attitude towards online events. BASIC PROCEDURES: The study was done as a longitudinal panel survey in four waves. The sample was a panel including active physicians in Finland. The panel was updated annually. Identical surveys were administered in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Spring 2020 was the time when Finland executed mobility restrictions and re-organization of healthcare because of pandemic. Comparing results of the survey before and after Covid-19 restrictions gives us a unique opportunity to do comparative analysis of Covid-19 effects. MAIN FINDINGS: Our results show that the use of digital media for information search stayed relatively stable without statistically significant change during the four-year period covered in the study. The use of social media rose steadily from 2018 to 2021 with no significant difference in the trend. However, there was a significant change in the attitude of Finnish physicians on online events. Year 2021, the attitude remained in this more positive level. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS: As use of digital media including social media was already high prior Covid-19 in Finland, our results do not show significant change because of special circumstances introduced in 2020. However, our results show that the attitudes towards online events turned more positive during Covid-19 related restrictions. This could indicate that Covid-19 era has triggered a change that might continue also when pandemic related restrictions will be removed.