A framework for the design of user-centred teleconsulting systems

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Communication Studies

Background:

• Telemedicine projects frequently stall post-pilot due to barriers like reimbursement, legislation, and crucially, user acceptance.
• A user-centered design approach may be lacking in current telemedicine system development, hindering scalability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive framework for teleconsultations by integrating theoretical dimensions.
• To address the gap in user-centered design for telemedicine systems.
• To enhance the understanding of factors influencing telemedicine adoption and effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Literature search across doctor-patient communication, technology-mediated communication, and technology acceptance.
• Analysis and synthesis of theoretical models from retrieved articles.
• Development of a new framework based on clustered elements from existing teleconsultation models.

Main Results:

• Instrumental and affective communication behaviors are critical in teleconsultations.
• Participant perceptions of effectiveness, efficiency, and 'affectiveness' significantly impact telemedicine system success.
• A new framework integrating communication and technology acceptance dimensions was developed.

Conclusions:

• The developed framework offers a practical tool for design professionals to integrate user considerations throughout the telemedicine design process.
• Emphasizing user-centered design, communication dynamics, and technology perceptions can improve telemedicine implementation and sustainability.
• This framework can guide the creation of more effective and user-accepted telemedicine solutions.