Nordic Citizens’ Willingness to Share Digital Health Data

• Main Authors: Eriksen, Jeppe, Hjermitslev, Camilla Bidstrup, Reponen, Jarmo, Hardardottir, Gudrun Audur, Tuulikki, Vehko, Faxvaag, Arild, Nøhr, Christian Gradhandt
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: IOS Press 2024
• Subjects: Citizen perspective; Citizen survey; Nordic Countries; digital healthcare; sharing of digital health data; /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being; name=SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being; Norway; Iceland
• Online Access: https://vbn.aau.dk/da/publications/252c7021-db60-4d29-a2f9-1e230a482c1d; https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI240359; https://vbn.aau.dk/ws/files/742796715/SHTI-316-SHTI240359.pdf; http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85202006669&partnerID=8YFLogxK

The quality of the digital healthcare systems relies on citizens' willingness to share their digital health data. This makes citizens' use, perceptions, and attitudes towards digital healthcare systems pivotal. The study presented here examines Nordic citizens' willingness to share digital health data with healthcare providers and for research purposes. A cross-sectional study design was applied to obtain answers from citizens in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The results are based on answers from 5078 citizens across the five countries. Results based on descriptive statistics indicate that the majority of Nordic citizens are willing to share health data that has clinical relevance with healthcare providers and for research purposes. The odds ratio analysis reveals that citizens' odds of sharing health data decreases with age and increases with the level of education. Conclusively, this study shows that most Nordic citizens are willing to share their health data, influenced by age and level of education. Awareness of and efforts to support citizens who are unable or unwilling to actively use and engage with the digital healthcare system is recommended.