JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

In the past decade, the use of health technologies, such as telemonitoring, video consultations, and patient portals has increased in hospitals. However, it remains unclear how these technologies have influenced nurse-patient communication. Additionally, little is known about the role nurses play in recognizing and supporting patients.

Objective:

This study aimed to explore which health technologies are currently being used in a hospital context and how nurse-patient communication has changed as a result. Furthermore, we sought to identify the strategies nurses employ and the barriers they experience in recognizing and supporting patients with limited digital health literacy.

Methods:

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses, working in a hospital (n=21). The interview guide was partly based on the six-function model of medical communication by de Haes et al. All interview transcripts were analyzed by two independent coders using a combination of deductive and inductive approaches.

Results:

According to the nurses, health technologies have impacted all six functions of nurse-patient communication. Positive changes were primarily observed in the functions of ‘gathering information,’ ‘providing information,’ ‘enabling disease and treatment management,’ and ‘responding to patients’ emotions.’ In contrast, the function of ‘fostering the relationship’ was perceived as more challenging due to the use of technology. Health technologies were rarely used in the decision-making process. Nurses used three main strategies to identify limited digital health literacy among patients: intuition, observation of verbal and non-verbal cues, and direct questioning. To support patients with limited digital health literacy, nurses focused on building trust, involving the patient’s social or care network, tailoring communication, and offering additional support. Reported barriers to implementing these strategies in daily practice included high workload and insufficient knowledge.

Conclusions:

Our findings show that health technologies has significantly influenced nurse-patient communication in the hospital setting. The results highlight the need for tailored training programs to strengthen nurses’ competencies in identifying and supporting patients with limited digital health literacy. This is essential to ensure more comprehensible and accessible care, and to promote equitable patient engagement with health technologies. Clinical Trial: NA