Perceived Limitations of Telemedicine from a Phenomenological Perspective

In the course of healthcare digitization, the roles of therapists and patients are likely to change. To shape a theoretical based process of technological transformation, a phenomenological perspective on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is introduced. Therefore, this paper illustrates the benefit of a holistic view on patients and therapists to describe and explain phenomena concerning Human Technology Interaction (HTI). The differentiation between a measurable objective body and a habitual subjective body helps to evaluate and anticipate constituting factors of accepting telemedicine systems. Taking into account findings from a secondary analysis of semi-structured interviews we conducted with primary care physicians, we develop a phenomenological framework for HTI in healthcare. Our aim is to structure future research concerning design implications for ICT and the implementation of telemedicine systems in clinical and primary care

Agency and Body Ownership in Immersive Virtual Reality Environments: A Laboratory Study

Virtual reality (VR) technologies such as head-mounted displays are gaining increasing attention since the Oculus Rift development kit entered the market in 2016. VR is assumed to offer great potential for different purposes such as entertainment, gaming, education, or healthcare. Briefly summarized, VR provides an enclosed virtual environment in which users can become immersed, can move and look freely at 360-degree in any direction, and they can interact, manipulate, or create virtual objects with their entire body. With regard to these properties and the characteristic of immersion (a user’s state of deep involvement with an IT) we examine how immersion can be enhanced by the theoretical constructs of agency and body ownership in a VR space. Therefore, we conduct a laboratory study to enhance the perception of being in voluntary control of actions (agency) and the sense of the virtual body as one’s own one (body ownership) with 69 participants

Virtual Reality Technologies in Health Care: A Literature Review of Theoretical Foundations

The digitization of health care promises an improvement of medical care through the adoption of virtual reality (VR) related technologies. Although most undergoing mechanisms of clinical effectiveness are yet not defined theoretically, research approaches have already taken place in several empirical settings. To structure current and upcoming scientific work in this field, we conducted a literature review with regard to theoretical implications of both IS-related and healthcare-related research. We found several theoretical bases to build upon in the field of psychology, but expressed a need for enrichment of theoretical foundations in the field of IS research. We therefore plead for a theoretical foundation enriched by synergetic concepts of clinically effective VR related technologies. Finally, we conclude that VR related technologies appear as a promising approach worth further theoretical and empirical research in order to improve medical care

Constituting Factors of a Digitally Influenced Relationship between Patients and Primary Care Physicians in Rural Areas

In times of an ageing society and a rural exodus of primary care physicians, healthcare systems are facing major challenges. To maintain comprehensive care and an equitable access to healthcare services, today’s technological advancements represent a promising measure. Technologies empower patients by providing innovative tools such as sensors and applications for self-measurement, leading to self-initiated interventions, while supporting physicians in handling rising demands through telemedicine and spatially detached solutions. These enhanced treatments come with patient and physician-sided challenges such as incorrect digital information provided to the patient, negatively affecting treatment quality and leading to high issue resolving efforts. In order to investigate the perspectives of rural physicians on treatment digitalization and effects of patient empowerment, we conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Our findings show that patient activation, impacts on treatment process, patient differentiation, and patient-physician-interaction are relevant factors in the physicians’ valuation and willingness to use health technologies

Combining the virtual reality with biofeedback – state of research in nutrition

The digitalization of the health care system promises to improve care through the use of technologies that work with virtual reality (VR). In the field of nutrition research, various settings have taken place. But the research designs known so far were not supported by physiological values. Based on this gap and to structure current and future scientific work in this field I conduct a literature review. A selection of known biofeedback systems will be presented and checked whether they appear at all in the literature in connection with nutrition and VR. Results: The fact that only six papers have shown a sufficient relationship could be used to identify a deficiency. I conclude that VR-related technologies seem to be a promising approach that is worth theoretical and empirical research with increasing physiological parameters to improve nutritional behavior