Abstract
BackgroundTelemedicine applications often do not live up to their expectations and often fail once they have reached the operational phase.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to explore the determinants of patient adherence to a blended care rehabilitation program, which includes a Web portal, from a patient’s perspective.MethodsPatients were enrolled in a 12-week oncology rehabilitation treatment supported by a Web portal that was developed in cooperation with patients and care professionals. Semistructured interviews were used to analyze thought processes and behavior concerning patient adherence and portal use. Interviews were conducted with patients close to the start and the end of the treatment. Besides, usage data from the portal were analyzed to gain insights into actual usage of the portal.ResultsA total of 12 patients participated in the first interview, whereas 10 participated in the second round of interviews. Furthermore, portal usage of 31 patients was monitored. On average, 11 persons used the portal each week, with a maximum of 20 in the seventh week and a drop toward just one person in the weeks in the follow-up period of the treatment. From the interviews, it was derived that patients’ behavior in the treatment and use of the portal was primarily determined by extrinsic motivation cues (eg, stimulation by care professionals and patient group), perceived severity of the disease (eg, physical and mental condition), perceived ease of use (eg, accessibility of the portal and the ease with which information is found), and perceived usefulness (eg, fit with the treatment).ConclusionsThe results emphasized the impact that care professionals and fellow patients have on patient adherence and portal usage. For this reason, the success of blended care telemedicine interventions seems highly dependent on the willingness of care professionals to include the technology in their treatment and stimulate usage among patients.
Highlights
Over the last couple of years, the use of telemedicine applications within health care has increased
The term telemedicine refers to health services that enable patients to receive treatment in their daily living environment, whereby distance between health care professionals and patients is bridged by information and communications technologies (ICTs) [1]
How much was the portal used by the patients? The data were collected from 31 anonymous patients who logged in to the portal at least once, including the respondents of the study; 2 http://rehab.jmir.org/2017/2/e12/
Summary
Over the last couple of years, the use of telemedicine applications within health care has increased. Semistructured interviews were used to analyze thought processes and behavior concerning patient adherence and portal use. It was derived that patients’ behavior in the treatment and use of the portal was primarily determined by extrinsic motivation cues (eg, stimulation by care professionals and patient group), perceived severity of the disease (eg, physical and mental condition), perceived ease of use (eg, accessibility of the portal and the ease with which information is found), and perceived usefulness (eg, fit with the treatment). Conclusions: The results emphasized the impact that care professionals and fellow patients have on patient adherence and portal usage. For this reason, the success of blended care telemedicine interventions seems highly dependent on the willingness of care professionals to include the technology in their treatment and stimulate usage among patients
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