Factors affecting heart failure patients' adoption of telehealth include concerns over equipment or technology, service change, ease-of-use, knowledge of benefits, access to care, cost, and privacy.
What factors affect the acceptance of telehealth services by heart failure patients in a home setting?
Understanding factors like technology concerns, cost, and privacy can help structure interventions to improve the low acceptance rates of telehealth among heart failure patients.
BACKGROUND: While telehealth has been shown to improve heart failure patients' health outcomes, patients' acceptance of telehealth at the point of referral is reported to be low. Little is known about the factors related to patients' initial acceptance or refusal of telehealth services. The aim of this review was to synthesize evidence on the factors affecting heart failure patients' decision making to accept telehealth services in a home setting. METHODS: An integrative literature review was conducted. Six electronic databases and three grey literature sites were searched. Two reviewers independently reviewed articles for inclusion. Articles were included if they reported original data related to the acceptance of telehealth services among heart failure patients at home. RESULTS: Five studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Key findings indicated that patients generally hold positive views about telehealth. Factors that may affect the adoption of telehealth include concerns over equipment or technology, concerns over service change, ease-of-use, knowledge of the benefits of telehealth, access to care, cost, and privacy. CONCLUSIONS: Despite evidence of effectiveness for telehealth, there is a high rate of telehealth refusal among patients. Understanding factors associated with heart failure patients' decisions regarding telehealth can help healthcare organizations structure education programs and other interventions to improve acceptance rates.
Woo et al. (Wed,) conducted a review in Heart Failure. Telehealth services was evaluated on Factors affecting acceptance of telehealth services. Factors affecting heart failure patients' adoption of telehealth include concerns over equipment or technology, service change, ease-of-use, knowledge of benefits, access to care, cost, and privacy.