Abstract
Background
Media reporting can influence the perception and development of attitudes through the frequency and the way certain topics are presented. The German Medical Journal “Deutsches Ärzteblatt” is one of the most important media for agenda-setting in Germany. It thus has an influence on opinion-forming and acceptance within the medical profession in regard to innovative healthcare technologies.
Aim
The aim of this work is to quantify the media representation of telemedicine and deduce the qualitatively depicted acceptance factors.
Methods
All articles on telemedicine published in “Deutsches Ärzteblatt” between 01/01/2008 and 01/01/2018 were reviewed. The type of article, the focus, the connotation, and the degree of explanation were recorded quantitatively as well as the discussed topics and content aspects. In a structured content analysis, acceptance factors were derived based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT).
Results
The representation of telemedicine in the German Medical Journal has increased significantly in the last 10 years, and shows a tendency towards neutral and balanced reporting. A change in content can be seen. While the focus was still on technical aspects until 2012, it is currently increasing in the scientific–medical field. Emphasis is put on the presentation of expectations of performance and effort as well as the description and modification of framework conditions.
Conclusions
Further research is needed, focusing on the relevance of media representation of new forms of care such as telemedicine in order to increase acceptance and to develop attitudes on an individual, organizational, and systemic level.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brauns H-J, Loos W (2015) Telemedizin in Deutschland. Stand — Hemmnisse — Perspektiven. Bundesgesundheitsblatt 58(10):1068–1073
Bundesärztekammer (2010) Der Einsatz von Telematik und Telemedizin im Gesundheitswesen: Ergebnisse einer Repräsentativbefragung von niedergelassenen und Krankenhausärzten im April/Mai 2010. Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach, Allensbach
Collins PA, Abelson J, Pyman H, Lavis JN (2006) Are we expecting too much from print media? An analysis of newspaper coverage of the 2002 Canadian healthcare reform debate. Soc Sci Med 63(1):89–102
Deutscher Ärzteverlag Deutsches Ärzteblatt — Mediadaten (2018) http://www.aerzteverlag-media.de/fileadmin/media/mediadaten/medizin/Mediadaten/2018_Mediadaten_Deutsches_Aerzteblatt_Industrieanzeigen.pdf. Accessed 27 Nov 2018
Dockweiler C (2016) Akzeptanz der Telemedizin. In: Fischer F, Krämer A (eds) eHealth in Deutschland: Anforderungen und Potenziale innovativer Versorgungsstrukturen. Springer Vieweg, Berlin, pp 257–271
Dockweiler C, Hornberg C (2017) The role of psychological and technology-related personality traits and knowledge levels as factors influencing adoption of telemonitoring by medical professionals. Gesundheitswesen 79(12):1024–1030
Einsiedel EF (1992) Framing science and technology in the Canadian press. Public Underst Sci 1(1):89–101
Green Lauridsen M, Kälvemark Sporrong S (2018) How does media coverage effect the consumption of antidepressants? A study of the media coverage of antidepressants in Danish online newspapers 2010–2011. Res Social Adm Pharm 14(7):638–644
Hastall MR, Dockweiler C, Mühlhaus J (2017) Achieving end user acceptance: building blocks for an evidence-based user-Centered framework for health technology development and assessment. In: Antona M, Stephanidis C (eds) Universal access in human–computer interaction. Human and technological environments. Springer, Cham, pp 13–25
Kreucher S, Gross D, Laryionava K (2010) “Telemedizin” im Spiegel des Deutschen Ärzteblattes - Problemfelder und Akzeptanzfaktoren. In: Gross D, Gründer G, Simonovic V (eds) Akzeptanz, Nutzungsbarrieren und ethische Implikationen neuer Medizintechnologien: Die Anwendungsfelder Telemedizin und inkorporierte Technik Proceedings-Band. Kassel University Press, Kassel
Passalacqua R, Caminiti C, Salvagni S, Barni S, Beretta GD, Carlini P, Contu A, Di Costanzo F, Toscano L, Campione F (2004) Effects of media information on cancer patients’ opinions, feelings, decision-making process and physician–patient communication. Cancer 100(5):1077–1084
Racine E, Gareau I, Doucet H, Laudy D, Jobin G, Schraedley-Desmond P (2006) Hyped biomedical science or uncritical reporting? Press coverage of genomics (1992–2001) in Québec. Soc Sci Med 62(5):1278–1290
Racine E, Waldman S, Rosenberg J, Illes J (2010) Contemporary neuroscience in the media. Soc Sci Med 71(4):725–733
Saigi-Rubió F, Jiménez-Zarco A, Torrent-Sellens J (2016) Determinants of the intention to use telemedicine: evidence form primary care physicians. Int J Technol Assess Health Care 32(1–2):29–36
Schwartz LM, Woloshin S, Andrews A, Stukel TA (2012) Influence of medical journal press releases on the quality of associated newspaper coverage: retrospective cohort study. BMJ 344:d8164
Stryker JE (2002) Reporting medical information: effects of press releases and newsworthiness on medical journal articles’ visibility in the news media. Prev Med 35(5):519–530
van Trigt AM, de Jong-van den Berg LT, Voogt LM, Willems J, Tromp TF, Haaijer-Ruskamp FM (1995) Setting the agenda: does the medical literature set the agenda for articles about medicines in the newspapers? Soc Sci Med 41(6):893–899
Venkatesh, Morris, Davis (2003) User acceptance of information technology: toward a unified view. MIS Q 27(3):425
Wegwarth O, Gigerenzer G (2011) Risikokommunikation: Risiken und Unsicherheiten richtig verstehen lernen. Deutsches Ärzteblatt 108(9):448–451
Williams MD, Rana NP, Dwivedi YK (2015) The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT): a literature review. J Enterp Inf Manag 28:443–488
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval
This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Diedrich, L., Dockweiler, C. Media representation of telemedicine in the German medical journal “Deutsches Ärzteblatt”: an acceptance-theoretical analysis. J Public Health (Berl.) 29, 533–540 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-019-01158-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-019-01158-1