Did the National Health Information System implementation fulfill general practitioners’ expectations regarding е-health

General Medicine, 2023, 25(3), 3-7.

I. Karabova-Hambarova, N. Mateva

Medical University ‒ Plovdiv

Abstract. After a long-standing delay, the onset of eHealth in Bulgaria was finally set by implementing the first modules of the National Health Information System. The general practitioners were the first health specialists who use new functionalities. The present study aims to compare the general practitioners’ attitudes regarding eHealth before and after National Health Information System’s implementation. The results of two questionnaire surveys on the attitudes of general practitioners in 2020 and 2022 were used. Respectively, the opinions of 66 and 77 respondents were analyzed and compared. The software product SPSSv.19 was used for statistical processing. The results show a sharp drop in the positive attitudes of general practitioners in 2022 compared to 2020 following the use of the National Health Information System modules. The administrative relief expected from digital functionalities actually turned out to be an additional burden and time commitment.

Key words: electronic health, attitudes, general practitioners

Address for correspondence: ьIrena Karabova-Hambarova e-mail: irena.hambarova@mu-plovdiv.bg