ELECTRONIC HEALTH IN THE PRACTICE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS IN BULGARIA DURING A PANDEMIC - A SURVEY

ABSTRACT

Primary care is the basis of numerous attempts and initiatives applied in health reforms in recent years. One of them is the introduction of e-health, which will not only facilitate the work of the general practitioners (GPs) and increase the quality of the offered health services but also protects the environment because it reduces the amount of used medical supplies that require specialised disposal. The aim of the present study is to examine the attitudes towards the application of e-health among GPs in Bulgaria. 381 GPs participated in our study voluntarily, anonymously and without preselection. Most of the respondents knew what the term "e-health" included. GPs work in conditions of partially introduced e-health. They were interested in its application and were ready to actively participate in its development and final implementation in their practice. Around half of the surveyed GPs feared legal regulation (49.6%), followed by difficulties in using technology (47.5%), as well as lack of technical knowledge (35.4%). Less than 1/3 were afraid of misuse of personal information (28.9%). E-health has significant potential to address many of the challenges facing primary care in today's healthcare environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the development and implementation of e-health not only in Bulgaria.