JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Digital decision support systems (DDSSs) are expected to assist collaboration between healthcare staff in order to improve matters for specific patient groups. Patients with hard-to-heal ulcers have long healing times due to lack of guidelines for structural diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential. A DDSS could be a possible approach to aid improvement within wound management. Introduction of e-health solutions into healthcare is complicated, where personnel’s engagement seems crucial. Factors influencing and affecting staff engagement need to be understood and considered in order for the introduction to succeed.

Objective:

To describe healthcare personnel’s experiences of engagement when introducing a DDSS for wound management.

Methods:

Using a qualitative approach, interviews were carried out with 11 healthcare staff within primary, community and specialist care during start-up of the introduction of a DDSS for wound management. The interviews focused on staff experiences of engagement. Burnard’s content analysis was used in the data analysis process.

Results:

Four categories emerged describing the participants' experiences of engagement. Their experiences were expressed as a personal liaison, a professional commitment, an extended togetherness and an awareness and understanding of the circumstances.

Conclusions:

This paper reinforces an existing personal liaison of gaining new knowledge together with a professional commitment to do better for the patients, and a considerable togetherness with the surroundings for engagement to arise when introducing a new digital working tool into clinical practice. Attention was directed to the necessity for increased awareness and understanding of time, timing and resources required from leadership.