A qualitative study of COPD-patients' experience of a telemedicine intervention

BACKGROUND: Clinically stable patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often followed at regular intervals regardless of the needs. Our aim was to investigate the patient perspective on receiving telemedicine with weekly submission of readings and regular video consultations (Net-COPD) as an alternative to visits in the respiratory outpatient clinic and investigating the role of telemedicine in management of severe COPD.

DESIGN: Descriptive design and the method is qualitative based on semistructured interviews.

METHODS: Fourteen intervention patients participated from the Danish randomized clinical trial Net-COPD project. The transcribed interviews were analysed using manifest and latent content analysis.

FINDINGS: Participants reported that Net-COPD brought enhanced wellbeing and a sense of security in knowing that nurses kept an eye on them and initiated appropriate interventions in case of changes in the patient's condition. This was experienced as a lifeline to the respiratory outpatient clinic, which could be contacted when needed. Through monitoring, moreover, patients developed increased awareness and better self-management of their disease. Patients also experienced more focused and less stressful meetings via video consultations, than in respiratory outpatient visits. Nevertheless it was important that it was the same health staff patient met in the video consultations.

CONCLUSION: Participation in telemedicine increased the patient empowerment primarily by the sharing of data with a permanent staff of nurses. This knowledge was used to keep control of the disease in the form of extra readings and the systematic use of learned initiatives. This gave patients and relatives a sense of security.