POS0045-HPR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS REMOTE MONITORING

Abstract

BackgroundThe pandemic has accelerated the use of remote monitoring of patients (1), but there is still lack of knowledge in regards to barriers and facilitators for using remote monitoring among health care professionals. Patients with rheumatic diseases are monitored frequently by healthcare professionals, and follow-up strategies with less hospital visits could reduce the resource use.ObjectivesTo explore healthcare professionals’ attitude, facilitators and barriers on use of remote monitoring in a specialist healthcare setting.MethodsApproximately 100 employees at a department of rheumatology at a single Norwegian hospital were invited to complete an anonymous 22-item questionnaire in December 2021. To ensure anonymity, demographic data were limited to age (under/over 45 years of age) and current position (doctor, nurse, allied healthcare/leaders/secretaries). In addition, participants completed questions on frequency of use of video consultation, phone consultation and patient-reported software. For investigating attitudes, facilitators and barriers the participants also responded to 16 statements related to perspectives on the use of remote monitoring in patients with low and stable disease activity using a 10-point numeric rating scale (NRS) from 0=“Strongly disagree” to 10=“Strongly agree”. We developed the statements as potential facilitators or barriers for the use of video consultations and remote monitoring based on facilitators and barriers identified in previous research (2-4). The statements that had median score for agreement >=6 were categorized as either facilitator or barrier and presented with median score and interquartile range (IQR).ResultsSeventy (70 %) participants completed the questionnaire. In the study sample 44 % were under the age of 45, 35 % were doctors, 36 % nurses and 28 % were allied health professionals, secretaries, or leaders. None used video consultation on a daily basis, while 6 % used phone consultation daily. The participants had a positive attitude towards the use of remote monitoring in patients with low and stable disease activity (median: 9 (IQR: 8-10). For the remaining 7 statements the median scores were close to 5 – which indicates that they cannot be regarded as neither facilitators nor barriers. The remaining statements focused on adequate internet connection, patients underreporting, scepticism towards new software and mistrust in technical systems. The facilitators and barriers for remote monitoring with median score >=6 among health care professionals are presented with box-plots including median score and IQR in Figure 1.Figure 1.Facilitators and barriers presented with median score (IQR) in box-plots arrangementConclusionHealth care professionals showed positive attitudes towards the use of remote monitoring. Main facilitators on use of remote monitoring were: patients saving time, the belief of remote monitoring being part of future health care, remote monitoring being integrated with patient record system, patients wish to use remote monitoring and patient feeling less burdened by not visiting hospital. The main barriers were the inability to physically examine the patients and limitations related to the use of video consultation.