JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The adoption of telemonitoring in patients with heart failure (HF) is influenced by technology-related skills and self-efficacy, as well as psychological, clinical and demographic factors. However, the relative importance of these factors with regard to willingness to use telemonitoring is insufficiently understood.

Objective:

This cross-sectional study examines the extent to which technology-related skills and self-efficacy are related to willingness to participate in telemonitoring in patients with HF.

Methods:

Patients completed questionnaires during hospitalisation. Associations of technological skills and self-efficacy with willingness to participate in telemonitoring (dichotomous and continuous scale) were examined using regression models. Mediation-moderation analyses were used to investigate the role of self-efficacy in the association of technological skills with willingness to participate.

Results:

This study recruited 61 patients with HF admitted for decompensated HF (mean age 79.9±9.5 years; 24 women). Higher levels of technological skills were associated with higher willingness to participate in telemonitoring (OR=1.073 per scale unit; 95%CI[1.031,1.117]). Technological self-efficacy and learnability were also related to willingness to participate (OR=1.141; 95%CI[1.039,1.252]; OR=1.029; 95%CI[1.006,1.052]), but did not mediate the association of technological skills with willingness to participate in telemonitoring. Psychological factors (anxiety, depressive symptoms, and perceived social support), age and cognitive/physical functioning did not moderate the association of technological skills with participation in telemonitoring.

Conclusions:

Technological skills, self-efficacy and learnability are interrelated factors that need to be considered in patients with HF who are eligible for telemonitoring. Future intervention studies that target these factors could increase patients’ willingness and competence in using telemonitoring after admission for heart failure.