Abstract
The aim was to explore the experiences of a person-centred e-health intervention, in patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic heart failure (CHF). Grounded theory was applied to gather and analyse data. The study is part of a research project evaluating the effects of person-centred care (PCC) using a digital platform and structured telephone support for people with COPD or CHF recruited from nine primary care units in Sweden. Twelve patients from the intervention group were purposefully selected in accordance with the initial sampling criteria. The intervention was delivered through a digital platform and telephone support system for 6 months. The intervention relied on person-centred ethics operationalised through three core PCC components: patient narratives, partnership and shared documentation. A core category was formulated: Being welcomed through the side door when lacking the front door keys. The core category reflects how a PCC intervention delivered remotely provides access to mutual and informal meetings at times when professional contacts were desired to support patient self-management goals. According to patients' wishes, family and friends were seldom invited as care partners in the e-health context. A PCC intervention delivered remotely as a complement to standard care in a primary care setting for patients diagnosed with COPD or CHF is a viable approach to increase patients' access and involvement in preventive care. The e-health intervention seemed to facilitate PCC, strengthen patients' position in the health service system and support their self-management.
Highlights
A person-centred care (PCC) intervention delivered remotely as a complement to standard care in a primary care setting for patients diagnosed with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic heart failure (CHF) is a viable approach to increase patients’ access and involvement in preventive care
Visions of future healthcare have identified the need for both person-centred care (PCC) and for the digitalisation of health services [1,2,3], which has the potential to enhance equal access to care and to improve the effectiveness, accessibility and safety of health care in patients with chronic conditions
Participants of the PROTECT trial, a randomised controlled trial, were patients diagnosed with CHF or COPD recruited from nine urban public primary care centres in Sweden
Summary
Visions of future healthcare have identified the need for both person-centred care (PCC) and for the digitalisation of health services [1,2,3], which has the potential to enhance equal access to care and to improve the effectiveness, accessibility and safety of health care in patients with chronic conditions. E-health services (including telehealth and digital platforms) provide a promising strategy for strengthening preventive measures and self-management in patients with chronic conditions [7] These services support access to health information and facilitate communication. A starting point in PCC is to listen to and to help the patient identify resources for managing symptoms and everyday life events, through transparent dialogue and shared documentation of a health plan. The implementation of such actions, essential to PCC, is influenced by the intervention content and design and by the care environment [11,12]. To support the future development and realisation of PCC in the e-health context, this study investigated patients’ experience of one such intervention—the ‘person-centred care at distance’(PROTECT) intervention [14]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
