Implementing Mobile Health-Enabled Integrated Care for Complex Chronic Patients: Patients and Professionals'...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Informatics
• Public Health

Background:

• Integrated care (IC) enhances health and social care efficiency by focusing on preventive, patient-centered models and care coordination.
• Mobile health (mHealth) is crucial for implementing integrated care strategies.
• This study evaluates an mHealth-enabled IC model for complex chronic patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the acceptability, usability, and satisfaction of an mHealth-enabled integrated care model.
• To evaluate the model's impact on patients and healthcare professionals.
• To identify lessons learned for future mHealth-integrated care implementations.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, pragmatic, 2-arm, parallel, hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial.
• Inclusion of home-dwelling patients aged 55+ with chronic conditions (COPD, heart failure) or scheduled major elective surgery (hip/knee arthroplasty).
• Utilized the Person-Centered Coordinated Care Experience Questionnaire (P3CEQ), Nijmegen Continuity Questionnaire (NCQ), Net Promoter Score (NPS), and System Usability Scale (SUS).

Main Results:

• Patients reported high satisfaction, usability (NPS: +67% UC1, +45% UC2; SUS: 79 UC1, 68 UC2), and improved continuity of care.
• Healthcare professionals exhibited low acceptability (NPS: -25% UC1, -35% UC2) and average usability (SUS: 63 UC1, 62 UC2).
• High technology adoption by patients, with significant use of self-management apps and sensors.

Conclusions:

• The mHealth-enabled IC model is highly effective and satisfactory for patients with complex chronic conditions.
• Challenges remain in professional acceptance due to system maturity and integration issues.
• The study offers valuable insights for organizations implementing mHealth-integrated care for older adults.