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Examining the use of telehealth in community nursing: identifying the factors affecting frontline staff acceptance and telehealth adoption
Taylor, J. Coates, E. Brewster, L. Mountain, Gail Wessels, B. Hawley, M.S.
Taylor, J.
Coates, E.
Brewster, L.
Mountain, Gail
Wessels, B.
Hawley, M.S.
Publication Date
2015-02
End of Embargo
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Rights
© 2014 The Authors. This is an Open Access article under the Creative Commons CC-BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)
properly cited.
Peer-Reviewed
Yes
Open Access status
openAccess
Accepted for publication
2014-06-21
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Department
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Additional title
Abstract
Aims
To examine frontline staff acceptance of telehealth and identify barriers to and enablers of successful adoption of remote monitoring for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Chronic Heart Failure.
The use of telehealth in the UK has not developed at the pace and scale anticipated by policy. Many existing studies report frontline staff acceptance as a key barrier, however data are limited and there is little evidence of the adoption of telehealth in routine practice.
Design
Case studies of four community health services in England that use telehealth to monitor patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Chronic Heart Failure.
Methods
Thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with 84 nursing and other frontline staff; and 21 managers and key stakeholders; data collected May 2012–June 2013.
Findings
Staff attitudes ranged from resistance to enthusiasm, with varied opinions about the motives for investing in telehealth and the potential impact on nursing roles. Having reliable and flexible technology and dedicated resources for telehealth work were identified as essential in helping to overcome early barriers to acceptance, along with appropriate staff training and a partnership approach to implementation. Early successes were also important, encouraging staff to use telehealth and facilitating clinical learning and increased adoption.
Conclusions
The mainstreaming of telehealth hinges on clinical ‘buy-in’. Where barriers to successful implementation exist, clinicians can lose faith in using technology to perform tasks traditionally delivered in person. Addressing barriers is therefore crucial if clinicians are to adopt telehealth into routine practice.
Version
Published version
Citation
Taylor J, Coates E, Brewster L et al (2015) Examining the use of telehealth in community nursing: identifying the factors affecting frontline staff acceptance and telehealth adoption.
Journal of Advanced Nursing. 71(2): 326-337.
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Article