In modern conditions, the status of healthcare professionals such as medical and pharmaceutical workers is experiencing growth due to progress in medicine and pharmacy. This was made possible due to introduction of personalized innovative medicines into medical practice. Clinical trials, which evaluate interventions, including the use of medicinal preparations, for efficacy and safety are related to one stage of drug circulation [1].

Clinical trials are conducted in medical organizations that have approvals to carry out such studies. In accordance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP), medical organizations require adequate material resources (premises, equipment) and sufficient qualified personnel including medical and pharmaceutical workers to conduct high-quality research [2, 3].

Peer relationships among medical professionals are based on ethical principles such as the doctrine of ethical actions for medical and pharmaceutical workers within the entire healthcare system and how they perform in their field. Pharmaceutical ethics and medical ethics have much in common. However, significant differences are also present as a pharmaceutical worker neither conducts medical examinations nor prescribes medicinal preparations [4].

The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) enunciates peer cooperation between pharmacists, colleagues and other specialists, as well as respect for their values and professional abilities. The “Code of Ethics of the Russian Pharmacist” also emphasizes that “a pharmacist and a physician work together during pharmacotherapy”, … and that pharmacists are also “obliged to consult, within the limits of their knowledge, on the properties of medicinal preparations, as well as their chemical and pharmacological analogues” [5].

Now, when healthcare is getting digitalized, cooperation between medical and pharmaceutical workers who conduct clinical trials is increasingly reliant on digital interactions. This includes safeguarding confidentiality and communications through digital platforms [6]. Cooperation can be effective when a consolidated information area is built within a medical organization. It is done when workers are equipped with workstations integrated into a single network, shared network resources for exchanging data and messages, communication tools, information security, and other components that can be easily found in any modern organization. This is how continuous access to data, data safety and integrity is ensured [7].

Specialists must know how to use digital tools for automated workplaces, be skilled enough to search and maintain electronic medical records, work with medical information systems (MIS), inventory accounting systems (IAS) and other specialized services. At the same time, problems of interaction may arise due to diverse digital proficiency [8]. Both technical, and ethical aspects of dealing with digital technologies should be noted [6]. One of the aspects of digital ethics includes the right for digital literacy, which emphasizes development of information technology skills [9].

The goal of the research was to study digital literacy of healthcare professionals who interact during clinical trials.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Applicable laws and scientific publications regulating the conduct of clinical trials during healthcare digitalization were analyzed. Circulation of the studied drugs was examined through consolidated reports of medical organizations for 2022–2024 and inventory accounting systems. A sociological study was conducted among medical professionals of the Yaroslavl region using Google Forms. The research uses information from databases [10, 11]. The first section included information about the respondents (gender, age, position, length of service, etc.). The second section informed of workplace equipment, computer competence level, and need to improve computer skills. The level of computer competence was determined through self-assessment when it was necessary to choose among the proposed levels of computer competence (tab. 1).

The proposed levels of computer competence allow respondents to assess their knowledge objectively and decide whether they need additional skills to solve and perform their professional duties.

The sample included 76 medical workers and 34 pharmaceutical workers from medical organizations with 96.5% of respondents being women, 58.6% of respondents aged 40 and over, and 65.8% of respondents having higher medical or pharmaceutical education. The results were processed with descriptive statistics methods.

RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION RESULTS

It is claimed that the investigational medicinal product is supplied to the medical organization by the sponsor of clinical trials in accordance with a contract. As per GCP (good pharmacy practice), it is a pharmaceutical (pharmacy) worker who is responsible for investigational product accounting in a medical organization [3]. Therefore, such a drug enters the structural unit where clinical trials are conducted through a pharmacy or a warehouse of a medical organization. In a pharmacy, pharmaceutical workers are engaged in acceptance, storage and release of the investigational medicinal product in accordance with GPP.

Then the investigational medicinal product goes from the pharmacy/warehouse to the structural unit, with the fact being confirmed through electronic documents. They are part of the documentary trail that can be used to reconstruct what happened during the clinical trials [3]. Information-based interaction between specialists from various structural divisions is carried out in local systems (MIS/IAS), designed, in particular, to support the conduction of clinical trials (figure).

According to figure, digital communication between medical and pharmaceutical workers during circulation of drugs is done through electronic document flow (EDF). According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, information regarding the movement of all medicines should be entered into the MIS/IAS using EDI [12].

It has been established that digital literacy influences effectiveness of digital peer interaction. In a narrow sense, digital literacy relates to computer and information processing skills. In a broad sense, it is a set of knowledge, skills and abilities that allow a worker to solve problems within a digital environment effectively and safely [13]. It is mentioned in scientific publications that computer-equipped workplaces, computer literacy, and desire for self-education are essential [8].

In a sociological study, healthcare professional workplace equipment within a medical organization was analyzed (tab. 2).

According to table 2, workplaces of medical and pharmaceutical professionals in medical organizations are not fully equipped. At the same time, a complex use of all functions of information systems is possible only if a workplace is well equipped [14].

It is established that all healthcare professionals use information systems and technologies in daily practice [15]. Results of computer proficiency self-assessment by medical and pharmaceutical professionals are provided below (tab. 3).

According to table 3, medical and pharmaceutical workers have different self-assessment results. One third of medical workers assess their computer proficiency as basic, with the value being 2.5 times lower among pharmaceutical workers. An equal number of the respondents rate their computer proficiency as average. One in five medical professionals and every third pharmaceutical professional are confident users. Only one respondent is classified as an advanced user. The problems of healthcare digitalization in Russia, and insufficient level of digital literacy of medical personnel, in particular, are discussed in scientific publications [8].

Due to the increasing role of information in medical science and practice, constant development of digital skills among specialists is required [14]. We have analyzed the need of medical and pharmaceutical workers in computer literacy improvement (tab. 4).

It has been established that two-thirds of the interviewed professionals wanted to improve their digital literacy. Other respondents provided a negative reply or failed to provide an answer at all.

CONCLUSIONS

A comprehensive analysis of regulatory documents and practical activities of medical organizations has allowed to detect a need in competent specialists when clinical trials are conducted. It is especially important for professionals to interact in the course of healthcare digitalization. However, a wide range of specialists have developed diverse digital skills and abilities. Thus, it is necessary to improve the level of computer literacy of medical and pharmaceutical workers to ensure proper conduct of clinical trials, strengthen their motivation for self-development, and improve equipment in workplaces with personal computers. It is possible to make optimal organizational decisions to unify digital literacy requirements, develop and implement targeted educational programs, and improve technical infrastructure of medical organizations using the results.