Effect of Instant Messaging-Based Integrated Healthcare on Medical Service Use and Care Outcomes in Patients with Disabilities

TL;DR

Using instant messaging for integrated healthcare reduced outpatient visits and medication use in patients with disabilities, while also lowering caregiver burden.

Contribution

This study demonstrates that instant messaging-based integrated healthcare improves medical access and outcomes for disabled patients.

Findings

The LINE group had significantly fewer outpatient visits compared to the control group.

The LINE group used less medication and showed reduced caregiver burden after 12 months.

Integrated healthcare via instant messaging improved healthcare accessibility for disabled patients.

Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to investigate how receiving integrated healthcare services from a case manager via instant messaging affected patients with disabilities. Methods: This database-matched case–control study was conducted at one medical center. Patients with officially certified disabilities were recruited and assigned to either the LINE-based group or the control group, which accessed services in the traditional manner. Their baseline characteristics were collected through chart reviews. Medical service utilization data—including their number of outpatient visits, prescribed medications, and hospitalizations—were obtained at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months into the intervention. In the LINE group, quality of life, caregiver burden, and perceived social support were also assessed. A repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze within- and between-group differences over time. Results: Both the LINE group and the control group contained 66 patients. The number of outpatient visits (p < 0.001) and quantity of medication taken (p = 0.026) were significantly lower in the LINE group than in the control group. Furthermore, the caregiver burden in the LINE group (p = 0.024) was significantly lower 12 months after receiving integrated healthcare services. Conclusions: Providing integrated healthcare services via instant messaging enabled patients with disabilities to access medical services promptly and efficiently, thus enhancing the accessibility of healthcare and improving care for the disabled population.

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