Care providers and care users have become slightly more likely to use digital resources. They have also become slightly more positive about the impact of digital care. This is according to the 2024 Digital Care Monitor of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (Nivel) and the National eHealth Living Lab (NeLL). While some applications are widely used, such as the patient portal and digital written communications, others are still rarely utilised. In general, both groups do see additional scope for offering care in a fully or partially digital format even more often.
The researchers recommend looking into more ways to digitalise care and using existing forms of digital care more often. It is important to involve care providers and care users in this, so that experiences from different perspectives can be included.
Certain groups less likely to use digital care
Some groups, such as the elderly and people who have only completed primary or prevocational secondary education, remain less likely to use digital care. This relates to websites and apps to look up health information, for example. These groups are also less positive about digital care. To ensure accessibility of care for all, it is important to adequately support these groups in using digital care, for example by offering training courses.
Focusing on personal contact and addressing concerns
The use of certain digital tools remains low, such as the use of digital treatments for obesity or depression, or is even decreasing slightly. This is striking, as their use has been encouraged in recent years. Better communication about the benefits may help in this regard. Many care users do indicate that digital care leads to insufficient personal contact. They also have concerns about their privacy. It would therefore be useful to investigate how digital care can be made more personal. Open communication about security and the exchange of data could also help increase trust.
About the Digital Care Monitor
Since 2021, together with Nivel and the National eHealth Living Lab, RIVM has provided an annual overview of developments in digital care. For the 2024 monitor, the opinions and experiences of four groups of care providers and two groups of care users were collected. The results were collated in the Digital Care Monitor (formerly the E-Health Monitor) and can be found on an interactive dashboard on VZinfo.nl and in a fact sheet. Later this spring, RIVM will publish two reports on the Integral Care Agreement (Integraal Zorg Akkoord, or IZA). In one of these reports, RIVM will also discuss the transition towards more hybrid care.