Author: Alexandra Karvouniari

Investigating Digital Skills of Healthcare Professionals in Greek Military and Civil Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Aim: Digital skills of healthcare professionals are recognized as critical for the successful digital transformation of healthcare. The present study aims to examine the relationship between the digital skills of healthcare professionals and the organizational structures of hospitals. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, using the convenience sampling method, 857 healthcare professionals, working in Greek military and civilian hospitals, voluntarily participated. Data were collected between July and November 2021 through a structured questionnaire, based on the Digital Competence framework. Digital skills were categorized into five subscales: information, communication, content creation, problem solving, and safety skills. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 26.0, with p-values 0.8, indicating high reliability. Younger participants showed higher scores (p<0.001). The mean scores for information, communication, content creation, problem solving and safety skills in military hospitals were calculated as 52.1 (SD=32.3), 50.6 (SD=31.8), 48.4 (SD=33.3), 49.8 (SD =30.8) and 52.8 (SD=34.1) respectively, while in civilian hospitals they were calculated as 45.1 (SD=32.2), 44.5 (SD=29.5), 41.8 (SD=32.4), 41.5 (SD=30.8) and 47.1 (SD=34.5) respectively. Conclusions: Healthcare professionals in military hospitals exhibit higher digital competence compared to their counterparts in civilian hospitals. Identifying the organizational factors that promote greater digital competence among healthcare professionals provides essential information to policymakers and healthcare managers for implementing targeted organizational improvements.