Experience of patients with chronic conditions with telemedicine in primary care : a focus group analysis

Prevodnik, Katja (author), Hvalič Touzery, Simona (author), Dolničar, Vesna (author), Zaletel, Jelka (author), Laznik, Jerneja (author), Petrovčič, Andraž (author)

Introduction: Telemedicine is becoming an increasingly important strategy for the management of chronic diseases, which cause a high proportion of deaths in Slovenia. The aim of this study was to investigate user experiences related to the use of telemedicine devices and experiences with telemedicine among patients diagnosed with chronic diseases in primary care. Methods: We conducted four focus groups with 19 patients with type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension in July 2020 in a Slovenian primary health care centre. Transcripts were analysed according to the principles of inductive thematic analysis. Results: Using inductive thematic analysis, seven themes were identified: advantages and disadvantages of telemedicine, ease of use of telemedicine, two-way communication with health professionals, impact of telemedicine on patients' health, desire to use telemedicine and its accessibility, influence and support from the environment, and concern for own health. The themes are composed of 10 subthemes and 29 factors. Discussion and conclusion: Regular use of telemedicine is most strongly influenced by patients' perceived need to use it and instructions from health professionals. Despite patients' positive experiences of using telemedicine devices, an individual assessment of their suitability for each patient is needed, including an assessment of the patient's health status, attitude towards health, and level of digital literacy.

• Language: English
• Keywords: primary health care, diabetes, qualitative study, hypertension, telemedicine, user experience
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: Str. 246-263
• Numbering: Letn. 56, št. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-143414
• UDC: 616-036.1-052:621.39
• ISSN on article: 1318-2951
• DOI: 10.14528/snr.2022.56.4.3150
• COBISS.SI-ID: 134377219
• Publication date in RUL: 20.12.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Obzornik zdravstvene nege : strokovno glasilo Zveze društev medicinskih sester in zdravstvenih tehnikov Slovenije
• Shortened title: Obzor. zdrav. neg.
• Publisher: Zbornica zdravstvene nege
• ISSN: 1318-2951
• COBISS.SI-ID: 39433728

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Izkušnje kronično obolelih pacientov s telemedicinsko obravnavo v ambulantah družinske medicine : analiza fokusnih skupin

Abstract

Uvod: Telemedicinska obravnava stopa v ospredje kot strategija za obvladovanje kroničnih nenalezljivih bolezni, ki v Sloveniji povzročijo visok delež smrti. Namen raziskave je bil preučiti, kakšne izkušnje imajo pacienti z diagnozo kronične bolezni tako z uporabo telemedicinske opreme kot s telemedicinsko obravnavo v ambulanti družinske medicine. Metode: Julija 2020 so bile v enem od slovenskih zdravstvenih domov izvedene štiri fokusne skupine z 19 pacienti s sladkorno boleznijo tipa 2 in/ali visokim krvnim tlakom. Prepisi skupinskih pogovorov so bili analizirani po načelih induktivne tematske analize. Rezultati: S pomočjo induktivne tematske analize je bilo oblikovanih sedem tem: prednosti in slabosti telemedicinske obravnave, enostavnost uporabe telemedicinske opreme, dvosmerna komunikacija z zdravstvenim osebjem, učinki telemedicinske obravnave na zdravstveno stanje pacientov, želja po uporabi in dostopnosti telemedicinske obravnave, vpliv in opora okolja ter skrb za lastno zdravje. Teme vsebujejo 10 podtem in 29 dejavnikov. Diskusija in zaključek: Na izvajanje telemedicinskih meritev najbolj vplivajo zaznana potreba pacientov in navodila zdravstvenega osebja. Kljub pozitivni izkušnji pacientov z uporabo telemedicinske opreme je potrebna strokovna presoja primernosti tovrstne obravnave na individualni ravni, ki ne vključuje le zdravstvenega stanja pacientov, marveč tudi oceno njihovega odnosa do zdravja in digitalnih veščin.

• Keywords: primarno zdravstveno varstvo, diabetes, kvalitativna raziskava, hipertenzija, telemedicina, uporabniška izkušnja kronični bolniki, družinska medicina, fokusne skupine, Slovenija