Rai Harleen Kaur, Miller Morven, Leung Steve, Macleod Euan, Lennon Marilyn
Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 16 Richmond Street, Glasgow, G1 1XQ, United Kingdom, 44 0141 548 4303.
Urology Department, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
JMIR Form Res. 2025 Jun 18;9:e65235. doi: 10.2196/65235.
3D technology, including models and images, can facilitate health care consultations by promoting a better understanding of information by patients and shared decision-making. However, little is yet known about the general public's perspectives about the acceptability of such innovative technology and how it can best be adopted into routine health care consultations. There is a need to explore both public and patient perceptions to avoid the risk of implementing 3D technologies that may not be acceptable or fit-for-purpose.
This paper aimed to explore the patient and public perceptions of the use of 3D technology during health care consultations.
This study adopted a citizen science approach using mixed methods to conduct (1) a short web-based survey with members of the public to gather a wide range of opinions regarding the use of various technologies for health care consultations; (2) a longer web-based survey to explore perceived barriers and opportunities people report specifically on the use of 3D technology; and (3) telephone interviews with patients who recently used 3D technology as part of their health care consultations.
A total of 211 participants completed the short survey, of which 25 went on to complete the longer survey. While members of the public were familiar with using various types of technologies during remote consultations, most participants did not have experience with using 3D technology. However, people reported that they could see the potential benefits of such technology to facilitate health care consultations. They expressed positive perceptions toward how this might assist in comprehension of a diagnosis and discussion of alternative treatment plans. They also mentioned potential benefits in relation to communication and shared decision-making either with their health care provider or with their friends and family. These potential benefits were confirmed through telephone interviews with 4 patients who also stressed potential barriers such as emotional distress caused by an overload of information as important considerations for wider implementation. Overall, there was a strong interest and willingness to use 3D technology in future health care consultations.
The use of 3D technology in health care settings is now an option, but there is little research to date on how patients and the wider public might benefit from this. This mixed methods study has shown that people are accepting of 3D technology being used in health care consultations and that there might be real benefits to the patient. These include improved individual and shared decision-making around their treatment through the technology, making disease and treatment options easier to understand for patients. Since 3D technology can still be expensive, the benefits to the patient and health care professionals need to be captured and quantified in terms of reduced travel, efficient use of time, and overall better quality of care and clinical outcomes.
包括模型和图像在内的3D技术，可通过促进患者对信息的更好理解和共同决策来推动医疗保健咨询。然而，对于公众对这种创新技术可接受性的看法以及如何最好地将其应用于常规医疗保健咨询，目前所知甚少。有必要探索公众和患者的看法，以避免实施可能不可接受或不适用的3D技术的风险。
本文旨在探讨患者和公众对在医疗保健咨询中使用3D技术的看法。
本研究采用公民科学方法，运用混合方法进行：（1）对公众成员进行简短的网络调查，以收集关于使用各种技术进行医疗保健咨询的广泛意见；（2）进行更长时间的网络调查，以探讨人们具体报告的关于使用3D技术的感知障碍和机会；（3）对最近在医疗保健咨询中使用3D技术的患者进行电话访谈。
共有2,11名参与者完成了简短调查，其中25人继续完成了更长时间的调查。虽然公众熟悉在远程咨询中使用各种类型的技术，但大多数参与者没有使用3D技术的经验。然而，人们报告说他们可以看到这种技术对促进医疗保健咨询的潜在好处。他们对这可能如何有助于理解诊断和讨论替代治疗方案表达了积极看法。他们还提到了在与医疗保健提供者或与朋友和家人进行沟通和共同决策方面的潜在好处。通过对4名患者的电话访谈证实了这些潜在好处，这些患者还强调了潜在障碍，如信息过载引起的情绪困扰，这是更广泛实施的重要考虑因素。总体而言，人们对在未来医疗保健咨询中使用3D技术有浓厚兴趣和意愿。
在医疗保健环境中使用3D技术现在是一种选择，但迄今为止关于患者和更广泛公众如何可能从中受益的研究很少。这项混合方法研究表明，人们接受在医疗保健咨询中使用3D技术，并且这可能对患者有实际好处。这些好处包括通过该技术围绕其治疗改善个人和共同决策，使患者更容易理解疾病和治疗选择。由于3D技术仍然可能很昂贵，需要从减少出行、有效利用时间以及整体提高护理质量和临床结果方面捕捉并量化对患者和医疗保健专业人员的好处。
