Healthcare professionals' perspectives on technology in transitional care: A multisite qualitative study on current...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Technology
• Transitional Care Medicine
• Qualitative Research Methods

Background:

• Adult transitional care involves complex processes for patients moving between healthcare settings.
• Technology adoption in healthcare faces challenges related to resources, privacy, and trust.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore healthcare professionals' perspectives on technology in adult transitional care.
• To identify challenges, critical procedures, and facilitators for technology adoption in this setting.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, multisite qualitative study utilizing semi-structured co-creation sessions.
• Constant comparison analysis with iterative coding (open, axial, selective) and impact relationship analysis.
• Involved 115 participants across 11 co-creation sessions.

Main Results:

• Identified five key transitional care processes: assessment, discharge planning, protocol adherence, post-discharge support, and follow-up.
• Technology can enhance these processes through improved digital literacy, user-friendliness, interoperability, and information flow.
• Key barriers include limited resources, privacy concerns, and lack of trust in technology.

Conclusions:

• Technological tools offer significant potential to support adult transitional care processes.
• Effective adoption necessitates tailored strategies addressing multifaceted barriers.
• Addressing resource limitations, privacy, and trust is crucial for successful technology integration.