TY - JOUR
T1 - The feasibility of using technology to enhance the transition of palliative care for rural patients
AU - Holland, Diane E.
AU - Vanderboom, Catherine E.
AU - Ingram, Cory J.
AU - Dose, Ann Marie
AU - Borkenhagen, Lynn S.
AU - Skadahl, Phyllis
AU - Pacyna, Joel E.
AU - Austin, Christine M.
AU - Bowles, Kathryn H.
PY - 2014/6
Y1 - 2014/6
N2 - Palliative care services for patients with life-limiting conditions enhance their quality of life. Most palliative care services, however, are located in hospitals with limited transitional care for patients who live in distant locations. The long-term goal of this program of research is to use existing technology for virtual visits to provide transitional care for patients initially hospitalized in an urban setting by a nurse practitioner located closer to patients' homes in distant, rural settings. The purpose of this proof-of-concept study was to determine the resources needed to use the system (efficiency) and the quality of the audio and visual components (effectiveness) to conduct virtual visits between a clinician at an academic center and community-dwelling adults living in rural locations. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model, a mixed-methods field design was used. Because of the burden of testing technology with patients with life-limiting conditions, the sample included eight healthy adults. Participant satisfaction and perceptions of the ease of using the technology were also measured. Virtual visits were conducted using a 3G-enabled Apple iPad, cellular phone data service, and a Web-based video conference service. Participants and clinicians perceived the technology as easy to use. Observations revealed the importance of the visual cues provided by the technology to enhance communication, engagement, and satisfaction. Findings from this study will inform a subsequent study of technology-enhanced transitional care with palliative care patients.
AB - Palliative care services for patients with life-limiting conditions enhance their quality of life. Most palliative care services, however, are located in hospitals with limited transitional care for patients who live in distant locations. The long-term goal of this program of research is to use existing technology for virtual visits to provide transitional care for patients initially hospitalized in an urban setting by a nurse practitioner located closer to patients' homes in distant, rural settings. The purpose of this proof-of-concept study was to determine the resources needed to use the system (efficiency) and the quality of the audio and visual components (effectiveness) to conduct virtual visits between a clinician at an academic center and community-dwelling adults living in rural locations. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model, a mixed-methods field design was used. Because of the burden of testing technology with patients with life-limiting conditions, the sample included eight healthy adults. Participant satisfaction and perceptions of the ease of using the technology were also measured. Virtual visits were conducted using a 3G-enabled Apple iPad, cellular phone data service, and a Web-based video conference service. Participants and clinicians perceived the technology as easy to use. Observations revealed the importance of the visual cues provided by the technology to enhance communication, engagement, and satisfaction. Findings from this study will inform a subsequent study of technology-enhanced transitional care with palliative care patients.
KW - Palliative care
KW - Rural population
KW - Technology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84902682261&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84902682261&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/CIN.0000000000000066
DO - 10.1097/CIN.0000000000000066
M3 - Article
C2 - 24814998
AN - SCOPUS:84902682261
SN - 1538-2931
VL - 32
SP - 257
EP - 266
JO - CIN - Computers Informatics Nursing
JF - CIN - Computers Informatics Nursing
IS - 6
ER -