Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Medical Education
Date Submitted: Nov 1, 2023
Open Peer Review Period: Oct 29, 2023 - Dec 24, 2023
Date Accepted: Aug 15, 2024
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Integrating digital assistive technologies into care processes: A mixed-methods study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Background:
Current challenges in patient care have increased research on technology use in nursing and health care. Digital assistive technologies are one option that can be incorporated into caring processes. However, how the application of digital assistive technologies should be introduced to nurses and care professionals must be clarified. No structured and effective education concepts for the patient-oriented integration of digital assistive technologies in the nursing sector are currently available.
Objective:
Objective:
This study aimed to examine how a structured and guided integration and education concept, termed the Sensitization, Evaluative introduction, Qualification, and Implementation (SEQI) education concept herein, can support the integration of digital assistive technologies into nursing practices.
Methods:
Methods:
This study used an explanatory, sequential, study design with a mixed-methods approach. The SEQI intervention was run in 26 long-term care facilities oriented toward older adults in Germany after a five-day training course in each. The participating care professionals were asked to test one of six digital assistive technologies in real-world practice over three days. Surveys (n=112) were then carried out that recorded the intention to use digital and assistive technologies (DATs) at three measurement points and guided qualitative interviews with care professionals (n=12) were conducted to evaluate the learning concepts and effects of the intervention.
Results:
Results:
Since this is a pilot study, no sample size calculation was carried out and a p-value was not shown. The participating care professionals were generally willing to integrate digital assistive technologies—as an additional resource—into nursing processes even before the four-stage SEQI intervention was presented. However, the intervention provided additional background knowledge and sensitized care professionals to the digital transformation, enabling them to evaluate how digital assistive technologies fit in the healthcare sector, what qualifies these technologies for correct application, and what promotes their use. The care professionals expressed specific ideas and requirements for both technology-related education concepts and nursing DATs.
Conclusions:
Conclusions:
Actively matching technical support, physical limitations, and patients’ needs is crucial when selecting digital assistive technologies and integrating them into nursing processes. To this end, using a structured process such as SEQI that strengthens care professionals’ ability to integrate digital assistive technologies can help improve the benefits of such technology in the healthcare setting. Practical, application-oriented learning can promote the long-term implementation of DATs. Clinical Trial: Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien-ID: DRKS00024967 https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00024967
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