Healthcare professionals' perceptions of digital care in clinical practice for patients with non-cardiac chest pain

Abstract Background Healthcare professionals’ attitudes and perceptions of digital care are crucial for successful introduction of a new digital form of treatment in the workplace. Purpose This study aimed to describe healthcare professionals’ perceptions of digital care in clinical practice for patients with non-cardiac chest pain. Methods A qualitative descriptive study design with individual semi-structured interviews, analyzed using inductive thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke (2006). Study data were collected by individual digital (15) and face-to-face (2) interviews with licensed healthcare professionals (doctors and nurses) working in emergency care or cardiology. Results The results illustrate healthcare professionals’ perceptions of digital care within clinical settings in emergency and cardiology care for patients with non-cardiac chest pain. Four themes and eleven subthemes were identified. The first theme "New ground to walk on" describes healthcare professionals' experiences of digital care. The second theme: "A challenge to current healthcare system" depicts how digital care was seen as a challenge for the current healthcare system. The third theme: "Digital care has its potential" shows that a majority believed healthcare can gain valuable insights from embracing digital care. The last theme: "Prerequisites for use in clinical practice" describes factors that can facilitate the adoption of digital care in clinical practice. Conclusions The findings delineate the diverse knowledge and experiences of healthcare professionals in digital care. The perception of digital care ranged from skepticism to trust, illustrating challenges in implementing digital solutions in clinical care. Healthcare professionals expressed concerns about potential errors, the reliability of digital solutions, and concerns regarding resistance to change among colleagues. Nevertheless, they also recognized benefits and identified several factors that can facilitate the implementation of digital care into clinical practice and expressed cautious trust in digital care.