JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has the potential to support mobile care for rural regions like the Alpine Space, which is characterized by long way distances or sometimes even physically unreachable regions.

Objective:

This study investigates the potential of supporting mobile nursing organizations in rural regions with the use of mobile telemonitoring systems.

Methods:

As a subproject of the EU-funded project INTESI, the project VITAMO (VITAl parameter MOnitoring) gathered stakeholders’ requirements for telemonitoring support of mobile care in rural regions, developed and implemented a prototype system that was applied for a three-month test period with a local nursing organization in Austria. Log analysis, surveys, and interviews were used to evaluate the system according to the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The focus was set to technology assessment and user satisfaction related to both end-users, patients, and nurses.

Results:

The participated patients received Bluetooth devices for blood pressure measurement, body weight, blood sugar measuring and activity tracking, had a tablet with a mobile internet connection to see the results. The nurses were able to access the results remotely. Regularly executed speed tests and log analysis prove the availability of high-speed mobile internet in the rural test region. Log analysis, surveys, and interviews revealed the suitability of utilized technology environment and showed that the system was easy to use and potentially useful. The perceived usefulness for supporting mobile care was rated meaningfully low and the frequency of nurses using the tool declined continuously over the field test’s period time. Further group discussions investigated this issue.

Conclusions:

While the technology environment with mobile internet, Bluetooth devices, and smart vital sign monitoring devices would be adequate and suitable to support mobile care in rural regions, the potential benefit for the nursing organization could not be confirmed. Further analysis revealed a lack of general awareness on actual care processes that seem not to be aligned with approved general issues. Technology has the potential to leverage the available environment for developing meaningful solutions. These experiences could contribute to further investigations, which need to precisely identify and analyze existing care processes of mobile care on an organizational base.