Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Nov 24, 2022
Date Accepted: Jul 31, 2023
Date Submitted to PubMed: Aug 3, 2023
Patient and clinician perceptions of the pulse oximeter in a remote monitoring setting for COVID-19: Qualitative study
ABSTRACT
Background:
As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in NSW (Australia) launched the rpavirtual program, the first full-scale virtual hospital in Australia, to remotely monitor and follow-up stable COVID-19 patients. As part of the intervention, a pulse oximeter wearable device was delivered to patients to monitor their oxygen saturation levels, a critical indicator of COVID-19 patient deterioration. Understanding users’ perceptions towards the device is fundamental to assessing its usability and acceptability and contributing to the effectiveness of the intervention, but no research to date has explored the user experience of the pulse oximeter for remote monitoring.
Objective:
To explore the utilization, performance, and acceptability of the pulse oximeter by clinicians and patients in rpavirtual during COVID-19.
Methods:
Semi-structured interviews and usability testing were conducted. Adult patients (≥18 years old) who used the pulse oximeter and were monitored by rpavirtual and rpavirtual clinicians were interviewed. Usability testing was conducted with patients who had the pulse oximeter when they were contacted. Interviews were coded using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability.
Results:
Twenty-one patients and 15 clinicians completed the interview. Eight patients completed the usability testing. All participants liked the device and thought it was easy to use. They also had a good understanding of how to use the device and the device's purpose. Patient age and device-use related characteristics (e.g., the warmth of hands, hand steadiness) were identified by users as factors negatively impacting the accurate use of the pulse oximeter.
Conclusions:
Patients and clinicians had very positive perceptions of the pulse oximeter for COVID-19 remote monitoring, indicating high acceptability and usability of the device. However, factors that may impact the accuracy of the device should be considered when delivering interventions using the pulse oximeter for remote monitoring.
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