Abstract
Introduction: The rising prevalence of Internet usage and smartphone applications among urology patients underscores the critical role of digital health literacy. This study investigates the acceptability of digital health technologies among urology patients and identifies factors influencing their acceptance. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous survey consisting of 12 questions was developed based on literature research. It was conducted online using SurveyMonkey and targeted patients in the CUROS network in Germany. The data were analyzed descriptively using SPSS. Results: Of 1,039 participants, 99.1% reported using the Internet, with 84.4% using it several times daily. YouTube emerged as the most popular social media platform. While 90.2% searched for health information online, trust in online resources was low (mean score 4.63). Only 35.2% used medical apps, but 62.8% expressed willingness to use them if prescribed. Furthermore, 74.2% supported the use of electronic patient records, although concerns regarding privacy were noted. Conclusions: Urology patients demonstrate a high engagement with digital resources but express concerns about the reliability of online health information. Enhancing education on digital health tools and fostering trust in these resources is essential for improving patient outcomes and encouraging the integration of digital health in urological care.
Journal Section:
Research Article
References
1.
Gentry
SV
, Gauthier
A
, L'Estrade Ehrstrom
B
, et al. Serious gaming and gamification education in health professions: systematic review
. J Med Internet Res
. 2019
;21
(3
):e12994
. 2.
Rodler
S
, Kowalewski
KF
, Scheibert
H
, Bensel
M
, Stadelmeier
LF
, Styn
A
, et al. Digital therapeutics in urology: an innovative approach to patient care and management
. Eur Urol Open Sci
. 2023
;55
:23
–7
. 3.
Naik
N
, Talyshinskii
A
, Rassweiler
J
, Hameed
BMZ
, Somani
BK
. Digital health innovations in urology: telemedicine, wearables, and mobile applications–a systematic review of literature
. Curr Opin Urol
. 2024
;34
(2
):116
–27
. 4.
Özkent
MS
, Kılınç
MT
, Hamarat
MB
, Yılmaz
B
, Göger
YE
, Özkent
Y
, et al. Digitalization and urological diseases: severity of cyberchondria and level of health anxiety in patients visiting outpatient urology clinics
. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw
. 2023
;26
(1
):28
–34
. 5.
Tapiero
S
, Yoon
R
, Jefferson
F
, Sung
J
, Limfueco
L
, Cottone
C
, et al. Smartphone technology and its applications in urology: a review of the literature
. World J Urol
. 2020
;38
(10
):2393
–410
. 6.
Nedbal
C
, Juliebø-Jones
P
, Rogers
E
, N'Dow
J
, Ribal
M
, Rassweiler
J
, et al. Improving patient information and enhanced consent in urology: the impact of simulation and multimedia tools. A systematic literature review from the European association of urology patient office
. Eur Urol
. 2024
;86
(5
):457
–69
. 7.
Rodler
S
, Buchner
A
, Stief
CG
, Heinemann
V
, Staehler
M
, Casuscelli
J
. Patients’ perspective on digital technologies in advanced genitourinary cancers
. Clin Genitourin Cancer
. 2021
;19
(1
):76
–82.e6
. 8.
Knitza
J
, Simon
D
, Lambrecht
A
, Raab
C
, Tascilar
K
, Hagen
M
, et al. Mobile health usage, preferences, barriers, and eHealth literacy in rheumatology: patient survey study
. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth
. 2020
;8
(8
):e19661
. 9.
Pfob
A
, Hillen
C
, Seitz
K
, Griewing
S
, Becker
S
, Bayer
C
, et al. Status quo and future directions of digitalization in gynecology and obstetrics in Germany: a survey of the commission Digital Medicine of the German Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics
. Arch Gynecol Obstet
. 2024
;309
(1
):195
–204
. 10.
Dahlhausen
F
, Zinner
M
, Bieske
L
, Ehlers
JP
, Boehme
P
, Fehring
L
. Physicians’ attitudes toward prescribable mHealth apps and implications for adoption in Germany: mixed methods study
. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth
. 2021
;9
(11
):e33012
. 11.
Korn
S
, Böttcher
MD
, Busse
TS
, Kernebeck
S
, Breucha
M
, Ehlers
J
, et al. Use and perception of digital health technologies by surgical patients in Germany in the pre-COVID-19 era: survey study
. JMIR Form Res
. 2022
;6
(5
):e33985
. 12.
Rojanasumapong
A
, Jiraporncharoen
W
, Nantsupawat
N
, Gilder
ME
, Angkurawaranon
C
, Pinyopornpanish
K
. Internet use, electronic health literacy, and hypertension control among the elderly at an urban primary care center in Thailand: a cross-sectional study
. Int J Environ Res Public Health
. 2021
;18
(18
):9574
. 13.
Krebs
P
, Duncan
DT
. Health app use among US mobile Phone owners: a national survey
. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth
. 2015
;3
(4
):e101
. 14.
Makowsky
MJ
, Davachi
S
, Jones
CA
. eHealth literacy in a sample of south asian adults in edmonton, alberta, Canada: subanalysis of a 2014 community-based survey
. JMIR Form Res
. 2022
;6
(3
):e29955
. 15.
Eysenbach
G
. Improving the quality of web surveys: the checklist for reporting results of internet E-surveys (CHERRIES)
. J Med Internet Res
. 2004
;6
(3
):e34
. Published 2004 Sep. 29. 16.
Menold
H
. Digitale Patientenbefragung zur Erfassung der Sexualfunktion und Lebensqualität nach transurethraler Resektion von Blasentumoren. Jahrestagung Der Südwestdeutschen Gesellschaft Für Urologie e. V. 2023
;63
. 17.
Schoenfelder
T
, Schaal
T
, Klewer
J
, Kugler
J
. Patient satisfaction in urology: effects of hospital characteristics, demographic data and patients’ perceptions of received care
. Urol J
. 2014
;11
(4
):1834
–40
.18.
Berges
R
Epidemiologie des Benignen prostatasyndroms - die urologie
. SpringerLink
; 2008
. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00120-008-1624-620.
Buys
R
, Claes
J
, Walsh
D
, Cornelis
N
, Moran
K
, Budts
W
, et al. Cardiac patients show high interest in technology enabled cardiovascular rehabilitation
. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak
. 2016
;16
:95
. 21.
Ichikawa
T
, Kishida
D
, Shimojima
Y
, Yajima
N
, Oguro
N
, Yoshimi
R
, et al. Impact of online health information-seeking behavior on shared decision-making in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: the TRUMP2-SLE project
. Lupus
. 2023
;32
(11
):1258
–66
. 22.
Internetnutzung von Personen nach Altersgruppen in %
. Statistisches Bundesamt
. 2024
. Available from: https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Gesellschaft-Umwelt/Einkommen-Konsum-Lebensbedingungen/_Grafik/_Interaktiv/it-nutzung-alter.html?utm23.
Anderson
M
. Teens, social media and technology 2023
. Pew Research Center
; 2023
. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/12/11/teens-social-media-and-technology-2023/24.
Kong
W
, Song
S
, Zhao
YC
, Zhu
Q
, Sha
L
. TikTok as a health information source: assessment of the quality of information in diabetes-related videos
. J Med Internet Res
. 2021
;23
(9
):e30409
. 25.
Social-media-atlas 2024
. Faktenkontor
. 2024
. Available from: https://www.faktenkontor.de/studien/social-media-atlas-2024/26.
Welt. Facebook, X und co: Vor Allem Eine Altersgruppe Wendet Sich von social media ab - welt. In: DIE WELT;
2024
. Available from: https://www.welt.de/regionales/hamburg/article252449436/Facebook-X-und-Co-Vor-allem-eine-Altersgruppe-wendet-sich-von-Social-Media-ab.html?utm27.
Chen
YY
, Li
CM
, Liang
JC
, Tsai
CC
. Health information obtained from the internet and changes in medical decision making: questionnaire development and cross-sectional survey
. J Med Internet Res
. 2018
;20
(2
):e47
. 28.
Schrauben
SJ
, Appel
L
, Rivera
E
, Lora
CM
, Lash
JP
, Chen
J
, et al. Mobile health (mHealth) technology: assessment of availability, acceptability, and use in CKD
. Am J Kidney Dis
. 2021
;77
(6
):941
–50.e1
. 29.
Bo
Y
, Liu
QB
, Tong
Y
. The effects of adopting mobile health and fitness apps on hospital visits: quasi-experimental study
. J Med Internet Res
. 2023
;25
:e45681
. 30.
Ortega-García
JA
, Sánchez-Sauco
MF
, Zafra-Rodríguez
JA
, Cabrera-Rivera
LT
, Díaz-Martínez
F
, Llegus-Santiago
EM
, et al. Subjective well-being, happiness, and environmental health factors related to women planning a pregnancy or pregnant, using mobile health intervention
. Digit Health
. 2023
;9
:20552076231177146
. 31.
Minen
MT
, Stieglitz
EJ
, Sciortino
R
, Torous
J
. Privacy issues in smartphone applications: an analysis of headache/migraine applications
. Headache
. 2018
;58
(7
):1014
–27
. 32.
Fagerlund
AJ
, Bärkås
A
, Kharko
A
, Blease
CR
, Hagström
J
, Huvila
I
, et al. Experiences from patients in mental healthcare accessing their electronic health records: results from a cross-national survey in Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Sweden
. BMC Psychiatry
. 2024
;24
(1
):481
. 33.
Kruse
CS
, Stein
A
, Thomas
H
, Kaur
H
. The use of electronic health records to support population health: a systematic review of the literature
. J Med Syst
. 2018
;42
(11
):214
. 34.
Stüer
T
, Juhra
C
. Usability of electronic health records in Germany: an overview of satisfaction of university hospital physicians
. Stud Health Technol Inform
. 2022
;296
:90
–7
. © 2025 S. Karger AG, Basel
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
2025
You do not currently have access to this content.
