Physicians’ Perceptions and Demand Regarding Clinical and Secondary Use of Patient-Generated Health Data: Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: Patient-generated health data (PGHD) are increasingly recognized as valuable for clinical care and secondary use; however, physicians’ perspectives remain heterogeneous and context-dependent. Objective: This study aimed to examine physicians’ perceptions, intentions, and concerns about the clinical and nonclinical use of PGHD and to compare responses between tertiary hospitals and other institutions. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 157 physicians (81 from a tertiary hospital and 76 from other health care institutions), supplemented by in-depth interviews. Between-group differences were assessed using chi-square tests and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Priority-ranking items were analyzed using weighted scores. Results: Overall, 64% (100/157) of the physicians reported prior use of PGHD, most commonly in handwritten or printed form, with no significant institutional differences; physiological measurements were the most frequent type of data. Among nonusers, 78.9% (45/57) reported that they had never received PGHD from patients, while poor system integration was identified as a major barrier to clinical use. Physicians cited clinical necessity and user-friendly integration as the strongest motivators. Perceived benefits focused on enriched decision-making, whereas key concerns included data accuracy, increased workload, and insufficient evidence. For nonclinical use, research and public health were viewed as most valuable. Across institutions, secure and transparent governance was prioritized. Differences between tertiary and nontertiary settings appeared to reflect physician demographics rather than divergent attitudes. Interviews further revealed that PGHD use was highly context dependent, with older adults’ limited digital literacy and discrepancies between patient- and caregiver-reported data identified as distinctive barriers in routine practice. Conclusions: Physicians recognize the potential of PGHD to support outpatient care, shared decision-making, and research, but express strong concerns about data reliability, workflow burden, and insufficient infrastructure. Differences between tertiary and nontertiary physicians reflect demographic and career stage imbalances, but both groups converge on the need for standardization, secure integration, and supportive governance frameworks. Broad adoption will require not only technical integration but also regulatory reform and trust-building strategies to advance biomedical research and health care delivery.