Improving Practice–Patient Communication

The increasing shortage of skilled professionals, combined with the demographic shift among both patients and healthcare providers, is leading to a growing workload in medical practices. Digital solutions for practice–patient communication (PPC) offer opportunities to relieve practice staff. While research into the effects of digital PPC on medical quality is expanding, there is still a lack of knowledge about its impact on the efficiency of practices and their personnel. This is where the research project EMIDOC—consisting of three studies—conducted by the University of Bayreuth comes in. The project was carried out between 2022 and 2024 by the research group Healthcare Management and Health Services Research, in cooperation with medatixx GmbH & Co. KG, a provider of practice software solutions and services.

After screening 4,237 articles, the research team—comprising Michael Burkard, David Weber, and Prof. Dr. Martin Emmert—systematically reviewed 22 studies. They found that certain digital PPC tools are already established internationally and can lead to short-term efficiency gains. For example, one U.S. study reported that the use of video consultations reduced the average time required to prepare and conduct a primary care consultation by eight minutes. Given the approximately 1 billion doctor–patient interactions in Germany's statutory healthcare system each year, this suggests immense potential for improving efficiency.

However, some studies also reported mixed outcomes depending on the specific PPC solution and the context (e.g., country or care setting). In some cases, digital PPC solutions led to short-term inefficiencies or increased effort, for example due to the need for process adjustments and staff training. Overall, many PPC tools—such as messenger services or online appointment systems—offer further efficiency potential that has not yet been fully quantified in the academic literature or only unfolds in the medium to long term.

The researchers conclude that early integration and training of healthcare personnel, along with a targeted health policy strategy, are essential to fully harness these efficiency potentials and avoid possible inefficiencies. The results offer valuable guidance for policymakers and practitioners seeking to implement effective digital PPC solutions.

The study was presented by Michael Burkard, a doctoral candidate in the research group Healthcare Management and Health Services Research at the University of Bayreuth, at the 16th IHEA World Congress on Health Economics in Indonesia. The International Health Economics Association (IHEA) is the largest academic society in the field of health economics, with over 1,500 members from more than 100 countries. Its biennial congress is the world’s largest forum for health economists, researchers, and health policy decision-makers (this year featuring approximately 2,300 submitted contributions). The focus is on presenting current research findings and discussing their impact on health policy and practice.