Delemere, Emma and Gitonga, Isaiah and Maguire, Rebecca (2022) Utility, barriers and facilitators to the use of connected health to support families impacted by paediatric cancer: a qualitative analysis. Supportive Care in Cancer, 30 (8). pp. 6755-6766. ISSN 0941-4355

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Abstract

Aim As healthcare systems are increasingly burdened, the efficiencies and cost savings offered by connected health (CH, i.e. two-way communicative healthcare technologies such as eHealth or mHealth) present an attractive solution for supporting families impacted by cancer. More research is required, however, to examine attitudes towards CH to better facilitate its use in practice. This study seeks to examine the utility, barriers and facilitators of CH use for families affected by paediatric cancer living in Ireland. Methods Healthcare professionals (n = 5) and parents of children with cancer (n = 7) completed semi-structured interviews on their experiences of and attitudes to CH via Microsoft Teams. A reflexive thematic approach to analysis was employed. Results CH was perceived to provide support for a number of current needs with themes of ‘shifting responsibilities’, ‘individualisation of care’ and ‘knowledge as power’. Through facilitating communication, information sharing and monitoring of child health, CH was perceived to support decreased parental burden and increased parental control, with positive child outcomes thought likely. Perceived barriers and facilitators to the use of CH included the ‘importance of trust’, ‘pace of change’ and ‘access’. Conclusion While results suggest an acceptance of CH across key stakeholders, barriers and facilitators should be considered to support effective implementation. While further analysis of the efficacy of CH to support families impacted by paediatric cancer is needed, these findings highlight key areas where CH may be effectively employed.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Connected health; Paediatric cancer; Attitude; eHealth; Families;
Academic Unit:	Assisting Living & Learning,ALL institute Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology Faculty of Science and Engineering > Research Institutes > Human Health Institute
Item ID:	17772
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-022-07077-4
Depositing User:	Rebecca Maguire
Date Deposited:	01 Nov 2023 14:45
Journal or Publication Title:	Supportive Care in Cancer
Publisher:	Springer
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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