Sjukvårdskonsultation med hjälp av IKT : En kvalitativ studie om äldre människors inställning till TeleHealth

Aim: Identify the factors underlying older people's attitudes towards TeleHealth, as well as describe how to improve these attitudes. Background: Sweden's rural municipalities exhibits a substantial population decline, at the same time the proportion of senior citizens, above the age of 65, is expected to grow during the coming years. The people of working-age are migrating out of the rural areas which presents a problem of financing local healthcare. Older age increases the risk of a multitude of chronic diseases which increases the need for regular contact with healthcare providers. TeleHealth is a solution which has been given attention globally which entails, among other things, that healthcare consultation is provided through live video feed instead of face to face meetings. Implementation of new technical solutions requires a well established acceptance if the introduction is to be a success. Method: Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data which were then transcribed according to the secretary-method. A thematic analysis was then performed on the transcribed material. Four people were interviewed, all of who were above 65 years old and resident of a rural municipality. Results: Personal experience regarding healthcare and current knowledge of technology were the factors identified as affecting older people's attitudes towards TeleHealth. Conclusion: Older people's confidence with handling technology must increase in order to improve their attitudes regarding TeleHealth. They must also be reassured that the quality of their healthcare does not decline with the implementation of TeleHealth.Validerat; 20160614 (global_studentproject_submitter