Strandberg Susanna, Backåberg Sofia, Fagerström Cecilia, Ekstedt Mirjam
Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Linnaeus University, Universitetsplatsen 1, Kalmar, Växjö 351 95, Sweden.
Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
Int J Nurs Stud Adv. 2023 Aug 5;5:100149. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnsa.2023.100149. eCollection 2023 Dec.
The need for support in self-care at home will increase with the growing older population with chronic illness. Many people have one or more chronic illnesses and struggle with self-care activities, often supported by informal carers at home. The rapid development of telemonitoring applications in primary care calls for increased knowledge about how people with chronic illness and their informal carers experience the use of telemonitoring applications at home.
This study aims to describe experiences of self-care management at home when living with hypertension or heart failure, with support from primary care through telemonitoring.
A descriptive qualitative approach was applied using semi-structured interviews with patients and informal carers in a pilot project on telemonitoring of chronic illness in primary care from October 2019 to June 2021.
Participants were recruited from three primary care settings and one medical department at one hospital in a region in southern Sweden.
A purposive sample of patients ( = 20) with chronic illness living at home and their informal carers ( = 4) were recruited.
Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted, guided by open-ended questions targeting patients' and informal carers' experiences of self-care management at home and using telemonitoring applications as support. Transcribed interviews were analyzed through qualitative content analysis.
'Developing the capability to perform self-care with technology as both an intruder and an invited guest' was the unifying theme that tied together the experiences of patients with chronic illness and their informal carers. Experiences of self-care management included acquiring necessary self-care skills, expertise in managing their chronic illness, and reciprocal relationships with healthcare professionals when using telemonitoring application as support in self-care monitoring of vital parameters. However, uncertainty regarding the interpretation of symptoms and a feeling of exclusion were seen.
Telemonitoring applications offer potential support for patients with chronic illnesses and their informal carers, enabling them to establish new routines and enhance motivation for self-care activities at home. This study emphasizes the adaptability of telemonitoring applications in meeting the unique support requirements of patients and informal carers when managing self-care at home.
随着慢性病患者老龄化人口的增加，对家庭自我护理支持的需求也将增加。许多人患有一种或多种慢性病，在自我护理活动中面临困难，通常由家中的非正式护理人员提供支持。初级保健中远程监测应用的迅速发展，要求增加对慢性病患者及其非正式护理人员在家中使用远程监测应用的体验的了解。
本研究旨在描述在初级保健通过远程监测提供支持的情况下，患有高血压或心力衰竭的患者在家中进行自我护理管理的体验。
采用描述性定性方法，在2019年10月至2021年6月对初级保健中慢性病远程监测的试点项目中的患者和非正式护理人员进行半结构化访谈。
参与者来自瑞典南部一个地区的三家初级保健机构和一家医院的一个医疗科室。
招募了在家中患有慢性病的患者（n = 20）及其非正式护理人员（n = 4）的目的样本。
进行半结构化电话访谈，以开放式问题为指导，针对患者和非正式护理人员在家中自我护理管理以及使用远程监测应用作为支持的体验。通过定性内容分析对转录的访谈进行分析。
“将技术作为闯入者和受邀嘉宾来培养自我护理能力”是将慢性病患者及其非正式护理人员的体验联系在一起的统一主题。自我护理管理的体验包括获得必要的自我护理技能、管理慢性病的专业知识，以及在使用远程监测应用作为重要参数自我护理监测的支持时与医疗保健专业人员的互惠关系。然而，在症状解释方面存在不确定性和被排斥的感觉。
远程监测应用为慢性病患者及其非正式护理人员提供了潜在支持，使他们能够建立新的日常习惯并增强在家中进行自我护理活动的动力。本研究强调了远程监测应用在满足患者和非正式护理人员在家中管理自我护理时独特的支持需求方面的适应性。
