Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Nov 10, 2020
Date Accepted: Aug 10, 2021
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Facilitators and Barriers in Lifestyle Support and eHealth Solutions: Interviews With Healthcare Professionals Working in Cardiac Care
ABSTRACT
Background:
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) pose a significant health threat, and reduce both people’s life expectancy and quality of life. Healthy living is a key component in the effective prevention and treatment of CVD. However, healthcare professionals experience difficulties in supporting lifestyle change among their patients. eHealth could provide a solution to these barriers.
Objective:
This study aimed to provide insight into (1) what factors healthcare professionals find important in the support of CVD patients in the uptake of and adherence to a healthy lifestyle, and (2) the perceived facilitators and barriers of using eHealth to provide lifestyle support to CVD patients.
Methods:
In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 Dutch healthcare professionals who are specialized in lifestyle support in cardiac care.
Results:
We identified 13 themes, of which the first 12 concern lifestyle support in general, and were either intervention, patient-, or healthcare-related. Throughout these themes the use of eHealth reoccurred as a (potential) facilitator or solution to barriers in lifestyle support. Our final theme specifically concerned barriers in the adoption and usability of eHealth.
Conclusions:
Healthcare professionals do recognize the potential advantages of eHealth, but at the same time experience barriers in using digital tools. Incorporating their needs and values in the development of lifestyle support programs, and especially eHealth, could increase the use and lead to a more widespread adoption of eHealth into healthcare.
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Copyright
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