JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Mobile health (mHealth) is increasingly being used in contemporary healthcare provision owning to its portability, accessibility, facilitation of communication, improved inter-professional collaboration, and benefit health outcomes. However, there is limited discourse on patient safety in real-world mHealth implementation, especially as care settings extend beyond traditional centre-based technology usage to home-based care.

Objective:

This study aims to explore healthcare professionals’ perspectives on the safety aspects of mHealth integration in real-world service provision, focusing on Hong Kong SAR and Wuhan city in mainland China.

Methods:

A multi- centre qualitative study design was used. Twenty-seven participants, including 22 nurses and five physicians from two different healthcare systems were interviewed individually. Thematic analysis was used to analysis the data.

Results:

Four themes emerged from the data analysis. Participants emphasized 'liability' concerns when discussing patient safety, considering the current uncertainties surrounding mHealth implementations. They emphasized the need for 'change management,' which includes appropriate referral processes, adequate resources and funding, informed mHealth usage, and efficient working processes. They cautioned the risks in providing mHealth information without ensuring understanding, appreciated the current regulations available, and identified additional regulations that should be considered to ensure information security.

Conclusions:

Healthcare professionals recognized the importance of patient safety in mHealth usage. The promotion of mHealth should be accompanied by the standardization of mHealth services with institutional and healthcare system-level support. This includes fostering mHealth acceptance among healthcare professionals to encourage appropriate referrals, accommodate changes, ensure patient comprehension, and proactively identify and address threats to information security.