Health Care Personnel's Perspective on Potential Electronic Health Interventions to Prevent Hospitalizations for Older Persons Receiving Community Care: Qualitative Study.

Martha Therese Gjestsen,Ingelin Testad,Siri Wiig

doi:10.2196/12797

Abstract

BackgroundThe use of electronic health (eHealth) interventions is suggested to help monitor and treat degenerative and chronic diseases through the use of sensors, alarms, and reminders and can potentially prevent hospitalizations for home-dwelling older persons receiving community care. It is increasingly recognized that the health care personnel’s acceptance of a technological application remains a key challenge in adopting an intervention, thus interventions must be perceived to be useful and fit for purpose by the actual users.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to identify and explore the perspectives of managers and health care personnel in community care regarding the use of eHealth interventions in terms of prevention of hospitalizations for home-dwelling older persons receiving community care.MethodsA case study with a qualitative approach was carried out in community care in a Norwegian municipality, comprising individual interviews and focus group interviews. A total of 5 individual interviews and 2 focus group interviews (n=12) were undertaken to provide the health care personnel’s and managers’ perspective regarding the use of eHealth interventions, which could potentially prevent hospitalizations for home-dwelling older persons receiving community care. Data were analyzed by way of systematic text condensation, as described by Malterud.ResultsThe data analysis of focus group interviews and individual interviews resulted in 2 categories: potential technological applications and potential patient groups. Discussions in the focus groups generated several suggestions and wishes related to technical applications that they could make use of in their day-to-day practice. The health care personnel warranted tools and measures to enhance and document their clinical observations in contact with patients. They also identified patient groups, such as patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or dehydration or urinary tract infections, for whom hospitalizations could potentially have been prevented.ConclusionsWe have shown that the health care personnel in community care warrant various technological applications that have the potential to improve quality of care and resource utilization in the studied municipality. We have identified needs and important matters in practice, which are paramount for acceptance and adoption of an intervention in community care.

Highlights

BackgroundThe global shift in demographics represents an epidemiological transition from a predominance of infectious diseases to noncommunicable diseases [1]
The work package (WP) reported in this paper aimed at (1) identifying relevant patient groups who could potentially take advantage of electronic health (eHealth) in community care, (2) identifying the health care personnel’s and managers’ perspective of and readiness to use eHealth in community care, and (3) based on findings in (1) and (2), suggesting an eHealth intervention for the case municipality
The data analysis of focus group interviews and individual interviews resulted in 2 categories: potential technological applications and potential patient groups

Summary

Introduction

BackgroundThe global shift in demographics represents an epidemiological transition from a predominance of infectious diseases to noncommunicable diseases (ischemic heart disease, stroke, and chronic lung disease) [1]. The use of electronic health (eHealth) interventions is suggested to help monitor and treat degenerative and chronic diseases through the use of sensors, alarms, and reminders and can potentially prevent hospitalizations for home-dwelling older persons receiving community care. A total of 5 individual interviews and 2 focus group interviews (n=12) were undertaken to provide the health care personnel’s and managers’ perspective regarding the use of eHealth interventions, which could potentially prevent hospitalizations for home-dwelling older persons receiving community care. The health care personnel warranted tools and measures to enhance and document their clinical observations in contact with patients They identified patient groups, such as patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or dehydration or urinary tract infections, for whom hospitalizations could potentially have been prevented. We have identified needs and important matters in practice, which are paramount for acceptance and adoption of an intervention in community care

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Conclusion