Provider perceptions of mHealth engagement for low-resourced, safety-net communities.

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate nurses' and other health care professionals' (HCPs) perceptions about implementing mobile health technology (mHealth) in clinical practice to support health care delivery for low-resourced, safety-net communities.

DESIGN

Qualitative exploratory study using data collected from focus group sessions. Respondents addressed four topics: (1) technology's role in health care delivery; (2) barriers to incorporating mHealth data in clinical practice; (3) need for mHealth Clinical Practice Guide (CPG); and (4) mHealth's potential to improve health care access for marginalized communities.

SAMPLE

Thirty HCPs providing services to community health center patients in Washington State and Washington, DC.

MEASUREMENTS

Thematic analysis of qualitative data.

RESULTS

Themes included:(1) mHealth's ability to provide customized reminders and data accuracy; (2) patients' mistrust of technology; (3) the possibility of linking community resources to address the social determinants of health;(4) mHealth's potential to improve patient-provider communication.

CONCLUSION

Health care professionals support incorporating mHealth inpatient care but suggest that an mHealth CPG would improve its potential for facilitating health care delivery in low-resourced communities.