Patient adaptation to technology: an application of the Roy model to nursing research

Structured interviews were used to explore 75 medical-surgical patients' reactions to intravenous (invasive) and telemetry (noninvasive) attachment. Dependent variables operationalizing constructs of comfort, self-esteem, patient role, and social relationships derived from Roy's four effector modes were organized into 19 adaptation items. It was hypothesized that patients attached to invasive technology would report more stimuli and need for behavioral responses than those attached to noninvasive technology. In keeping with the exploratory nature of the study and use of a new adaptation interview tool, item-by-item analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Most support for the hypotheses occurred when patients were attached to only one invasive device and for less than 3 days. Findings also provide new insights on how technology connections might put patients at risk for coping difficulties.