Nurses' Use of mHealth Functions

Area of Science:

• Nursing Informatics
• Digital Health
• Healthcare Technology Adoption

Background:

• Mobile health (mHealth) technology adoption by nurses is under-researched.
• Enthusiasm for mHealth integration into healthcare systems is high.
• Understanding current mHealth usage patterns among nurses is crucial for effective implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the current use of mHealth technologies by nurses in Canada.
• To identify differences in mHealth function utilization based on population setting and organizational type.
• To provide empirical data on the nature and extent of nurses' mHealth use.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted with 341 nurses in Canada.
• Data were analyzed to compare mHealth function use across different population settings (urban, rural).
• Comparisons were also made based on organizational type (hospital, community health, long-term care).

Main Results:

• Significant differences in using mHealth for decision support were observed across population settings.
• Organizational type significantly impacted the use of mHealth for care plans, communication, documentation, and information access.
• This study offers the first detailed insights into how Canadian nurses use mHealth.

Conclusions:

• Nurses' mHealth usage varies significantly depending on their geographic location and healthcare organization.
• Tailored strategies may be needed to optimize mHealth adoption and utilization in different nursing contexts.
• Further research is warranted to explore the implications of these usage differences.