Assessment of Patient Risk Profiles by a Male Sexual Health Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Platform: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Autor:	von Büren M; Department of Urology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany., Wülfing C; Department of Urology, Asklepios Klinik Altona, Hamburg, Germany.; Wellster Healthtech Group, Munich, Germany., Schlager D; Department of Urology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany., Träger MM; Department of Urology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany., Daoud M; Wellster Healthtech Group, Munich, Germany.; Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany., Schröder F; Wellster Healthtech Group, Munich, Germany., Brookman-May SD; Wellster Healthtech Group, Munich, Germany.; Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Spring House, Pennsylvania, USA.; Department of Urology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany., Gratzke C; Department of Urology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany., von Büren J; Wellster Healthtech Group, Munich, Germany.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Telemedicine reports [Telemed Rep] 2023 Jun 13; Vol. 4 (1), pp. 118-125. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jun 13 (Print Publication: 2023).
DOI:	10.1089/tmr.2023.0010
Abstrakt:	Background: Direct-to-consumer (DTC) online prescription platforms (OPP) for sexual health represent a potential paradigm shift in the diagnosis and treatment for sexual dysfunctions in the way men seek care. Knowledge of patients' risk profile using these platforms is limited. Aim: To assess risk profiles of patients reaching out to health care professionals through their DTC. Methods: Anonymized data originally collected between February 2021 to May 2022 by a DTC platform in the men's health care space were retrospectively analyzed. Data included the content of patient requests through a communication function, as well as the corresponding responses by the attending physician on staff. Each request was then assessed by two independent urologists and categorized by the level of the risk profile as well as the need to refer the patient to further medical evaluation. Results: Of 585 patient requests, 531 (90.8%) were classified as low risk. In the high-risk group, 32 patients were recommended to schedule an urgent appointment at a specialist. Only three patients (0.5%) were advised to seek emergency care. The overall referral rate for both risk groups was 52.3%. The requests of 279 patients (47.7%) were assessed as digitally treatable. Almost all patients who were digitally treatable were low risk. Side effects accounted for only 9.6% of all requests in the low-risk group, compared with 46.3% in the high-risk group. Conclusion: Overall, low-risk levels in the requests of patients using a DTC platform were reported, with almost half of them suitable to be solved digitally, whereas the other half required referral to an in-person specialist. Competing Interests: M.v.B. certifies that all conflicts of interest, including specific interests and relationships and affiliations relevant to the subject matter or materials discussed in the article, are the following: F.S. is an employee at Wellster Healthtech Group; M.D. is a working student at Wellster Healthtech Group; C.W. is a member of the medical advisory board at Wellster Healthtech Group and owns stock options and shares of Wellster Healthtech Group; S.D.B.-M. is a member of the medical advisory board at Wellster Healthtech Group; J.v.B. is an employee at Wellster Healthtech Group and owns stock options of Wellster Healthtech Group. All other coauthors declare no conflicts of interest. (© Moritz von Büren et al., 2023; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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