“Sometimes I don’t have a pulse … and I’m still alive!” Interviews with healthcare professionals to explore their experiences of and views on population-based digital health technologies

Abstract

Background Digital technologies are increasingly becoming an integral part of our daily routine and professional lives, and the healthcare field is no exception. Commercially available digital health technologies (DHTs – e.g. smartphones, smartwatches and apps) may hold significant potential in healthcare upon successful and constructive implementation. Literature on the topic is split between enthusiasm associated with potential benefits and concerns around privacy, reliability and overall effectiveness. However, little is known about what healthcare professionals (HCPs) have experienced so far with patients and what they perceive as the main advantages and disadvantages of adoption. This study therefore aims to investigate current perceptions of HCPs towards self-tracked health-related outputs from devices and apps available to the public. Methods Nine HCPs volunteered to take part in semi-structured interviews. Related data were thematically analysed, following a deductive approach with the construction of a framework based on expected themes from the relevant literature, and themes identified from the first two interviews. Findings The following main themes in relation to DHTs were identified and explored in detail: HCPs’ experience, knowledge and views; advantages and disadvantages; barriers towards healthcare implementation and potential solutions; future directions. While most participants were adopters of DHTs and held positive views about them, their overall experience with patients and the technology was limited. Potential reasons for this were explored, including factors such as time/resources; colleagues’ mindset; lack of evidence of effectiveness for practice; data security concerns. Conclusions The potential advantages of DHTs’ adoption in healthcare are substantial, e.g. patient autonomy, time/resources saving, health and behaviour change promotion, but are presently premature. Therefore, future research is warranted, focussing on addressing barriers, minimising disadvantages, and assessing the clinical value of commercially available DHTs.

Collecting and sharing self-generated health and lifestyle data: Understanding barriers for people living with long-term health conditions – a survey study

“… 15 , 16 Research suggests that HCPs themselves have doubts about the reliability of the health technology available to the general population. 17 These concerns may create difficulties for HCPs when they are required to judge the utility of data provided during health consultations. This highlights the need for clarity surrounding how best to integrate self-generated health and lifestyle data into the delivery of care.…”

“…26 For example, in a qualitative study of the experiences of patients with HIV (an example of an LTHC that is associated with experiences of stigma), 21,27 TIPS concerns were found to be central to perceptions of sharing health data with others. 17 In addition to TIPS concerns, information sensitivity has been found to impact both privacy concerns and willingness to share data with others. 20,27 Perceived sensitivity of information has been suggested to be a key barrier to the sharing of health and lifestyle data with others, yet it is difficult to define and measure.…”

“…26 For example, in a qualitative study of the experiences of patients with HIV (an example of an LTHC that is associated with experiences of stigma), 21,27 TIPS concerns were found to be central to perceptions of sharing health data with others. 17…”

Embedding digital sleep health into primary care practice: A triangulation of perspectives from general practitioners, nurses, and pharmacists

“…Studies conducted in other therapeutic areas also highlight similar barriers to the uptake of DHIs in cardiovascular 50 and diabetes care. 51 , 52 Strengthening regulatory processes with evidence-based components relating to safety, efficacy, and quality is an important priority for expanding DHIs into routine care including sleep health. A key challenge for regulating the digital health marketplace is its rapid pace and evolution, posing difficulties for regulatory bodies to keep up with the changes/updates.…”

Healthcare provider experiences of deploying a continuous remote patient monitoring pilot program during the COVID-19 pandemic: a structured qualitative analysis

“…They can take up time if the HCP has to manually enter more electronic health record data (28). They can be intrusive (29, 30) or inadvertently widen health disparities by not accommodating vulnerable populations such as older adults (31,32); this can be mitigated by conscious steps to widen access to technology (33). Despite complex challenges around adoption of DHTs, they are rapidly being integrated into healthcare delivery (26).…”