Table 1. Online questionnaire responses according to multiple categories.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use of instant medical communication app | 461 (97.2) | 195 (99.0) | 103 (100.0) | 90 (91.8) | 73 (96.1) | ≤ 0.001 |
| Use of WhatsApp | 460 (97.0) | 195 (99.0) | 103 (100.0) | 90 (91.8) | 72 (94.7) | ≤ 0.001 |
| Use of Facebook Messenger | 272 (57.3) | 132 (67.0) | 58 (56.3) | 51 (52.0) | 31 (40.8) | ≤ 0.001 |
| Use of Skype | 53 (11.1) | 22 (11.0) | 8 (1.0) | 15 (15.0) | 8 (10.0) | 0.283 |
| Use of Telegram | 66 (13.9) | 25 (12.0) | 16 (15.0) | 15 (15.0) | 10 (13.0) | 0.831 |
| Use of iMessage | 39 (8.2) | 15 (7.0) | 9 (9.0) | 9 (9.0) | 6 (8.0) | 0.812 |
| Use of Viber | 15 (3.1) | 1 (0.01) | 8 (8.0) | 5 (5.0) | 1 (1.0) | 0.788 |
| Use of Hangouts | 14 (2.9) | 9 (4.0) | 1 (1.0) | 4 (4.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0.521 |
| Frequency of use for medical purposes | ||||||
| No use | 15 (3.2) | 2 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 10 (10.2) | 3 (3.9) | ≤ 0.001 |
| Rare | 44 (9.2) | 8 (4.1) | 3 (2.9) | 17 (17.3) | 16 (21.1) | ≤ 0.001 |
| A few times a day | 177 (37.4) | 78 (39.6) | 43 (41.7) | 25 (25.5) | 31 (40.8) | 0.077 |
| Multiple daily access | 238 (50.2) | 109 (55.3) | 57 (55.3) | 46 (46.9) | 26 (34.2) | 0.003 |
| Number of discussion groups involved | ||||||
| No group | 45 (9.3) | 13 (6.6) | 1 (1.0) | 22 (22.4) | 9 (11.8) | ≤ 0.001 |
| 1-2 groups | 100 (20.7) | 25 (12.7) | 11 (10.7) | 36 (36.7) | 28 (36.8) | ≤ 0.001 |
| 3-5 groups | 182 (37.6) | 87 (44.2) | 46 (44.7) | 19 (19.4) | 30 (39.5) | ≤ 0.001 |
| More than 5 groups | 147 (30.4) | 72 (36.5) | 45 (43.7) | 21 (21.4) | 9 (11.8) | ≤ 0.001 |
| Frequency of online discussion of clinical cases | ||||||
| No discussion | 42 (8.7) | 20 (10.2) | 1 (1.0) | 16 (16.3) | 5 (6.6) | 0.061 |
| Rarely | 80 (16.5) | 28 (14.2) | 12 (11.7) | 23 (23.5) | 17 (22.4) | 0.007 |
| Daily | 90 (18.6) | 31 (15.7) | 28 (27.2) | 23 (23.5) | 8 (10.5) | 0.620 |
| Weekly | 199 (41.1) | 87 (44.2) | 52 (50.5) | 22 (22.4) | 38 (50.0) | 0.012 |
| Monthly | 63 (13.0) | 31 (15.7) | 10 (9.7) | 14 (14.3) | 8 (10.5) | 0.752 |
| Perception of use | ||||||
| Never used | 43 (8.9) | 20 (10.2) | 2 (1.9) | 16 (16.3) | 5 (6.6) | 0.653 |
| Never helped | 7 (1.4) | 3 (1.5) | 2 (1.9) | 1 (1.0) | 1 (1.3) | 0.084 |
| Used but could solve the case without the application | 157 (32.4) | 77 (39.1) | 29 (28.2) | 30 (30.6) | 21 (27.6) | 0.179 |
| Used and considered essential | 267 (55.2) | 97 (49.2) | 70 (68.0) | 51 (52.0) | 49 (64.5) | 0.703 |
| Use for image-sharing purposes | ||||||
| No use | 115 (23.8) | 71 (36.0) | 6 (5.8) | 22 (22.4) | 16 (21.1) | 0.349 |
| Rarely | 122 (25.2) | 50 (25.4) | 26 (25.2) | 24 (24.5) | 22 (28.9) | 0.791 |
| Daily | 44 (9.1) | 12 (6.1) | 12 (11.7) | 16 (16.3) | 4 (5.3) | 0.206 |
| Weekly | 136 (28.1) | 45 (22.8) | 45 (43.7) | 25 (25.5) | 21 (27.6) | 0.408 |
| Monthly | 57 (11.8) | 19 (9.6) | 14 (13.6) | 11 (11.2) | 13 (17.1) | 0.367 |
| Frequency of patient-guiding orientation | ||||||
| No use | 234 (51.0) | 145 (74.0) | 50 (49.0) | 27 (27.6) | 23 (30.3) | ≤ 0.001 |
| Rarely | 134 (27.7) | 37 (19.0) | 35 (34.0) | 32 (32.7) | 30 (39.5) | 0.007 |
| Daily | 22 (10.7) | 3 (2.0) | 1 (1.0) | 14 (14.3) | 4 (5.3) | ≤ 0.001 |
| Weekly | 44 (9.2) | 5 (2.5) | 8 (8.0) | 21 (21.4) | 10 (13.2) | ≤ 0.001 |
| Monthly | 26 (5.4) | 5 (2.5) | 8 (8.0) | 4 (4.1) | 9 (11.8) | 0.148 |
| Legal knowledge | ||||||
| No legal knowledge | 121 (25.5) | 59 (29.9) | 25 (24.3) | 18 (18.4) | 19 (25.0) | 0.105 |
| No literature-based knowledge | 180 (38.0) | 82 (41.6) | 47 (45.6) | 23 (23.5) | 28 (36.8) | 0.003 |
| Literature-based knowledge | 173 (36.5) | 56 (28.4) | 31 (30.1) | 57 (58.2) | 29 (38.2) | ≤ 0.001 |
| Impact on medical practice | ||||||
| No impact | 17 (3.6) | 2 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 11 (11.2) | 4 (5.3) | ≤ 0.001 |
| Negative impact | 6 (1.2) | 2 (1.0) | 1 (1.0) | 2 (2.0) | 1 (1.3) | 0.497 |
| Either positive or negative | 342 (72.2) | 162 (82.2) | 85 (82.5) | 51 (52.0) | 44 (57.9) | ≤ 0.001 |
| Positive impact | 109 (23.0) | 31 (15.7) | 17 (16.5) | 34 (34.7) | 27 (35.5) | ≤ 0.001 |
Values shown are n (%) or median (interquartile range).