Home Telehealth: Facilitators, Barriers, and Impact of Nurse Support Among High-Risk Dialysis Patients

OBJECTIVE: The value of home telehealth self-monitoring with nurse oversight has been demonstrated; however, there is a dearth of objective documentation of patients' experiences with such a model. We used a mixed methods approach to examine the value of home telehealth monitoring with remote care nurse (RCN) support from the perspective of participants in our study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients who used remote technology to self-monitor their health at home participated in a semistructured interview. The instrument was designed to help identify facilitators and barriers and to evaluate patient satisfaction with and effectiveness of home telehealth self-monitoring. RESULTS: Overall, patients reported high levels of satisfaction with RCN support as they received efficient feedback, were better able to identify changes in their health status, and experienced enhanced accountability, self-efficacy, and motivation to make health behavior changes. The most frequently cited barriers related to malfunctioning equipment or trouble with Internet connections, forgetfulness, and feeling poorly. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that home telehealth self-monitoring with RCN support is effective in empowering patients to take a more active role in their healthcare and indirectly improve quality of life for those living with chronic illness.