ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF E-HEALTH IN BULGARIA AMONG MEDICAL SPECIALISTS FROM THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE CENTERS IN THE CONDITIONS OF A PANDEMIC

Introduction. Since March 2020 the health systems and public health authorities in Bulgaria have been operating in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical specialists from emergency medical care centers are at the forefront of the fight against the infection. The introduction of e-health in these conditions is more urgent.The aim of the present study is to examine the attitudes of medical professionals from emergency medical care centers towards the application of e-health in the conditions of a pandemic.Material and methods. A direct anonymous survey was conducted among 80 medical specialists (47 (58.8%) men and 33 (41.2%) women) working in the centers for emergency medical care in Smolyan and the district. The mean age of the respondents was 52.18±5.38 years (Mean±SD). The survey was conducted in the period 1 October 2020 - 31 December 2020.Results. Most of our respondents believed that e-health included an electronic patient file (n=75; 93.8%), a remote patient consultation (n=73; 91.3%) and an issuance of an electronic referral (n=72; 90.0%). They shared that they were not familiar with the Bulgarian legislation regarding e-health (n=56; 70.1%). The respondents stated that thanks to e-health, the work of emergency care in Bulgaria would improve. The main sources of up-to-date health information for them were specialized medical sites (n=56; 70.0%) and medical literature (n=55; 68.8%). According to our respondents, the fundamental goals of the e-health system in Bulgaria should be aimed at saving money, quality control, easier access to health care, health promotion, improving patient satisfaction and developing other health services.Conclusion. The public emergency in which the world currently finds itself has shown the benefits of implementing e-health in all areas of health, including emergency medical care centers