Digital Care Chains in Health Care - a Study of Care Consumption, Care Quality, Work Environment and Well-being

Completed

• Conditions: Stress and Burnout; Care Givers Satisfaction; Work Environment Adverse Effects; Well-Being, Psychological; Workload; Technology Use

• Registration Number: NCT05211466
• Lead Sponsor: Region Gävleborg

Brief Summary

Digital healthcare has developed rapidly to meet demands for accessible healthcare, streamline care and meet future challenges with increasing healthcare needs and reduced labour force in Sweden. Developers and stakeholders in Sweden want to exchange the praxis of phone triage to digital or semi-digital triaging tools, to relieve staff's workload and utilize better resource use that would benefit all patient groups. However, previous studies have showed demographic differences in utilization rate and an increase of simpler care matters when digital healthcare options are offered. Also, little is known of medical accuracy of digital triage tools and of the work environment in digital healthcare. More research is needed on this, as well as on care consumption, care quality and of patients' experiences of digital healthcare. The overall aim of the research project is to study a new digital healthcare platform being introduced in 2021/2022 in the County of Gävleborg, Sweden. The studies will focus on care quality and patient safety as well as explore the digital work environment and staff well-being in the digital healthcare platform. Data will be collected before and after the introduction of the digital healthcare platform, using register data and questionnaires. The data from the two time periods will be analyzed with descriptive and inference statistics, to explore if the digital healthcare platform has brought differences on group levels in staff estimates of care quality and patient safety as well as in work environment aspects such as the staffs' well-being.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2022-01-04
• Study Start: 2022-01-17
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-01-26
• Study First Posted: 2022-01-27
• Primary Completion: 2025-01-12
• Status Verified: 2025-08
• Study Completion: 2025-08-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-09-22
• Last Update Posted: 2025-09-25

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 1012

Inclusion Criteria

• healthcare staff from all clinical areas in the County of Gavleborg
• staff with permanent employment

Exclusion Criteria

• administrative staff
• managers
• staff on long term leave
• staff on long term sick leave
• staff on parent leave
• staff expected to retire or resign within a year

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Staff-reported work environment in digital healthcare compared to traditional healthcare work.	Measures will be made August to December 2024.	Questions on work environment will be asked through a survey. The survey contains questions from the following questionnaires: Safety, Communication, Operational Reliability, and Engagement (SCORE) Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) Surveys on Patient Safety Culture™ Hospital Survey (SOPS®) and Staff Satisfaction with Care (SSC). Comparisons will be made between time and groups.; SCORE: Values between 1-5. Higher scores mean a better outcome in factors on patient safety, working climate and personal growth with some items reversed. Higher scores mean a worse outcome in factors on workload, burnout and stress.; COPSOQ: Values between 1-5. Higher scores mean a better outcome in factors on stress and emotional demands, but a worse outcome in factors on workplace community and involvement with one item reversed.; SOPS Hospital Survey: Values between 1-5. Higher scores mean a worse outcome. SSC: Values between 1-7. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Staff-reported well-being in digital healthcare compared to traditional healthcare work.	Measures will be made August to December 2024.	Questions on well-being will be asked through a survey. The survey contains questions from the following questionnaires: Safety, Communication, Operational Reliability, and Engagement (SCORE) Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) Surveys on Patient Safety Culture™ Hospital Survey (SOPS®) and Staff Satisfaction with Care (SSC).; Comparisons will be made between time and groups. SCORE: Values between 1-5. Higher scores mean a better outcome in factors on patient safety, working climate and personal growth, with some items reversed. Higher scores mean a worse outcome in factors on workload, burnout and stress.; COPSOQ: Values between 1-5. Higher scores mean a better outcome in factors on stress and emotional demands, but a worse outcome in factors on workplace community and involvement, with one item reversed.; SOPS Hospital Survey: Values between 1-5. Higher scores mean a worse outcome. SSC: Values between 1-7. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Staff-reported quality of care given through a digital platform compared to traditional healthcare.	Baseline measure during January - April 2022.	Questions on quality of care will be asked through a survey. The survey contains questions from the following questionnaires: Safety, Communication, Operational Reliability, and Engagement (SCORE) Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) Surveys on Patient Safety Culture™ Hospital Survey (SOPS®) and Staff Satisfaction with Care (SSC).; SCORE: Values between 1-5. Higher scores mean a better outcome in factors on patient safety, working climate and personal growth, with some items reversed. Higher scores mean a worse outcome in factors on workload, burnout and stress.; COPSOQ: Values between 1-5. Higher scores mean a better outcome in factors on stress and emotional demands, but a worse outcome in factors on workplace community and involvement, with one item reversed.; SOPS Hospital Survey: Values between 1-5. Higher scores mean a worse outcome. SSC: Values between 1-7. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Staff-reported quality of care given through a digital platform compared to traditional health care.	Measures will be made August to December 2024.	Questions on quality of care will be asked through a survey. The survey contains questions from the following questionnaires: Safety, Communication, Operational Reliability, and Engagement (SCORE) Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) Surveys on Patient Safety Culture™ Hospital Survey (SOPS®) and Staff Satisfaction with Care (SSC).; Comparisons will be made between time and groups. SCORE: Values between 1-5. Higher scores mean a better outcome in factors on patient safety, working climate and personal growth, with some items reversed. Higher scores mean a worse outcome in factors on workload, burnout and stress.; COPSOQ: Values between 1-5. Higher scores mean a better outcome in factors on stress and emotional demands, but a worse outcome in factors on workplace community and involvement, with one item reversed.; SOPS Hospital Survey: Values between 1-5. Higher scores mean a worse outcome. SSC: Values between 1-7. Higher scores mean a better outcome.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

County of Gavleborg; 🇸🇪 Gävle, Gävleborg County, Sweden