JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Early research in the area of virtual care solutions with peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients has focused on evaluating the outcomes and impact with these solutions. There has been less attention focused on understanding the mechanisms and factors associated with the usability and scalability of virtual care for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients receiving PD at home.

Objective:

In this context, a study was undertaken to assess and understand the usability and scalability of a virtual care solution aimed at enhancing CKD patients’ outcomes and experiences.

Methods:

This study used a qualitative design with semi-structured interviews and a thematic analysis approach. Twenty-five stakeholders (six patients and three caregivers; six healthcare providers; two vendors; and eight health system decision makers) participated in this study.

Results:

The following three primary mechanisms emerged to influence the usability of the virtual care solution: 1) receiving hands-on training and ongoing communication from a supportive team; 2) adapting to meet user needs and embedding into workflow, and 3) being influenced by patient and caregiver characteristics. Further, two overarching recommendations were developed for considerations around scalability: 1) co-design locally, embed into the daily workflow, and deploy over time and 2) share the benefits and build the case.

Conclusions:

Study findings can be used by key stakeholders in their future efforts to enhance usability and scalability of virtual care solutions for chronic disease management.