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Online communication in a rehabilitation setting: Experiences of patients with chronic conditions using a web portal
Jose Cerdan1, Daniel Catalan-Matamoros2, Sarah Warny Berg3
1Physio- and Occupational Therapy Department, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark; Respiratory Diseases and Allergology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Objective:
To gain insight into the experiences of patients with long-term conditions enrolled in an online rehabilitation programme using a web portal.
Methods:
Danish outpatients were recruited from a rehabilitation department and were granted access to a web portal which included an online rehabilitation programme with key information, clinical advice, and self-management activities. After two weeks, patients were invited to participate in focus groups. A topic guide was used to explore this new online rehabilitation programme in relation to participants' experiences.
Results:
Fourteen participants, ranging from 42 to 72 years old, were allocated into three focus groups. Participants mainly reported negative experiences by the following four themes: 'patients' experiences', 'technical aspects', 'areas for improvement', and 'digitalization added value'.
Conclusion:
Participants mainly reported negative experiences and suggested combining both face-to-face consultations with online care by user-friendly web portals. This will ensure a positive contribution from digital communication tools to rehabilitation.
Practice Implications:
Patients' experiences should be considered in the design of web portals in rehabilitation which could help healthcare organizations when developing online rehabilitation programmes.
