Abstract
BackgroundeHealth solutions such as digital decision support systems (DDSSs) have the potential to assist collaboration between health care staff to improve matters for specific patient groups. Patients with hard-to-heal ulcers have long healing times because of a lack of guidelines for structured diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Multidisciplinary collaboration in wound management teams is essential. A DDSS could offer a way of aiding improvement within wound management. The introduction of eHealth solutions into health care is complicated, and the engagement of the staff seems crucial. Factors influencing and affecting engagement need to be understood and considered for the introduction of a DDSS to succeed.ObjectiveThis study aims to describe health care staff’s experiences of engagement and barriers to and influencers of engagement when introducing a DDSS for wound management.MethodsThis study uses a qualitative approach. Interviews were conducted with 11 health care staff within primary (n=4), community (n=6), and specialist (n=1) care during the start-up of the introduction of a DDSS for wound management. The interviews focused on the staff’s experiences of engagement. Content analysis by Burnard was used in the data analysis process.ResultsA total of 4 categories emerged describing the participants’ experiences of engagement: a personal liaison, a professional commitment, an extended togetherness, and an awareness and understanding of the circumstances.ConclusionsThis study identifies barriers to and influencers of engagement, reinforcing that staff experience engagement through feeling a personal liaison and a professional commitment to make things better for their patients. In addition, engagement is nourished by sharing with coworkers and by active support and understanding from leadership.
Highlights
BackgroundMost patients with hard-to-heal ulcers, defined as ulcers that take more than 4 weeks to heal [1], are older adults and have multiple diseases [2]
A total of 4 categories emerged from the analysis, reflecting these health care staff’s experiences of engagement when introducing a digital decision support systems (DDSSs) for wound management: a personal liaison, a professional commitment, an extended togetherness, and an awareness and understanding of the circumstances
Feeling and having a personal liaison with the intervention was described as a positive influencer of staff engagement
Summary
BackgroundMost patients with hard-to-heal ulcers, defined as ulcers that take more than 4 weeks to heal [1], are older adults and have multiple diseases [2]. In Sweden, most patients with hard-to-heal ulcers have their continuous treatment in primary and community care [3], where nurses and physicians need to cooperate in wound management teams. Patients with hard-to-heal ulcers are generally diagnosed through in-person assessment, but a few studies have discussed the advantages of using eHealth solutions in wound management [5]. For this patient group, eHealth is expected to enable medical investigation and treatment for healing already in the home environment, to reduce transportations to different caregivers, and to minimize hospitalization [5,6]. Engagement is nourished by sharing with coworkers and by active support and understanding from leadership
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