Awareness, perceptions, and willingness regarding internet-based home care services and associated factors among...

The provision of Internet-based home care (IHC) services by community nurses has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance healthcare accessibility and efficiency, but awareness, perceptions and willingness of them to implement IHC remain under-researched. This study aimed to assess community nurses' awareness, perceptions, and willingness to IHC services in China and identify its associated factors. From May to June 2023, we conducted a convenience sampling survey of 161 eligible nurses from nine hospitals in Nanchong, Southwest China. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U Test or Kruskal-Wallis H Test, and ordinal multiple logistic regression analysis. The results showed that respondents' awareness and perceived benefits for IHC services scored 3.44 and 4.06, with 120 (74.5%) willing to participate; key reasons for rejections or hesitancies included medical risks, work intensity and personal safety, medical disputes, and competency. Logistic regression revealed significant associations between nurses' awareness (OR = 1.413) and competency (OR = 1.026) of IHC services and willingness. Most participants preferred providing IHC services within 2 km (71.4%) during weekdays (64.4%) and charging based on government standards (57.8%). Key service preferences included basic nursing and chronic disease management. Most participants emphasized the necessity for pre-service risk assessments (93.2%), written consent (93.8%), audio/video recordings (80.1%), accompaniment (94.4%), and insurance (93.8%). In conclusion, community nurses favor providing low-risk IHC services locally, with significant requests for support systems in place. Policymakers should enhance IHC service publicity, plan services considering nurses' and clients' needs, and create training plans to boost community nurses' competency, improving service willingness and quality.