Experiences with a telemedicine service for patients with COPD: a case study

Background: Many patients live with chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD .The goal is for patients to better manage the disease at home and reduce the use of healthcare services.Digital home monitoring, formerly known as remote medical monitoring, is a telemedicine service that can help improve the monitoring of the health status of patients with COPD outside hospital settings.Little is known about patients' experiences with this service. Objective:The objective of the study was to describe the experiences with the service from the perspective of the patients, caregivers and healthcare personnel. Method:We conducted a case study in a Norwegian municipality.A total of 13 participants were interviewed.Four patients and their caregivers were interviewed separately; the four patients were interviewed twice, and five of the healthcare personnel were interviewed in a focus group.We also used an evaluation note from a group of pulmonary nurses in the analysis.We performed a thematic content analysis of the data. Results:The experiences of the participants in the study were predominantly positive.The service had provided reassurance for patients and their caregivers, and all the participants believed that the patients' improved self-management of the disease gave them more independence, allowing them to live better with the disease.However, participants expressed that the service could have been better coordinated between the different healthcare providers. Conclusion:In order for digital home monitoring to contribute to reassurance, self-management and independence for patients with COPD, it is important that the service is tailored to the individual patient, such that they perceive it as safe and useful.There is a need for role clarification between the specialist health service, primary health care and telemedicine services.How the service is to be continued and funded should be clarified so that patients and caregivers can optimise their use of the service.