Care managers’ perceptions of eHomecare: a qualitative interview study

ABSTRACT

To implement information and communication technology (ICT) in elderly care can be a challenge for healthcare organisations. In Sweden, care managers (CMs) are responsible for offering ICT as a new part of homecare, i.e. eHomecare. The aim of this study was to focus on CMs’ perspectives and describe their perceptions of eHomecare. The study has a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews based on vignettes were conducted with 12 CMs in a medium-sized municipality in central Sweden. Data were analysed using qualitative analysis. The findings showed that CMs are influenced by surrounding organisations and relatives in their decision to grant eHomecare. There were also difficulties in CMs’ management of eHomecare. Furthermore, eHomecare was perceived to improve the quality of everyday life for older. It is understood that the management of eHomecare is a challenging task for CMs and a complex mission. Interactions among CMs, relatives, care providers, and other factors as for example CMs’ own attitudes have an impact on CMs’ decisions.

ABSTRAKT

Implementering av informations- och kommunikationsteknik (IKT) i äldreomsorg kan vara en utmaning för vård- och omsorgsorganisationer. I Sverige är biståndshandläggaren ansvarig för att erbjuda IKT som ett nytt alternativ av hemtjänst, eHemtjänst. Syftet med denna studie var att fokusera biståndshandläggarnas perspektiv och beskriva deras föreställningar om eHemtjänst. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats där semi-strukturerade intervjuer utifrån vinjetter genomfördes med 12 biståndshandläggare, i en medelstor kommun i centrala Sverige. Insamlad data analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet visar att biståndshandläggarna har en föreställning om att eHemtjänsten kan förbättra kvalitén i det dagliga livet för äldre. Att handlägga eHemtjänst förstås som ett utmanande och komplext uppdrag. Interaktioner mellan biståndshandläggare, anhöriga, och omsorgsgivare, samt faktorer som t.ex. biståndshandläggarnas egna attityder till tekniken har betydelse för vilka beslut som tas. Biståndshandläggarna påverkas av omkringliggande organisationer och anhöriga när de tar beslut om att bevilja eHemtjänst.

KEYWORDS:

• Care managers
• eHomecare
• elderly care
• information and communication technology
• vignette method

NYCKELORD:

• biståndshandläggare
• eHemtjänst
• informations- och kommunikationsteknik
• vignettmetod
• äldreomsorg

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Charlotta Åkerlind is a Registered Nurse, with a master degree in Elderly Care. She is a PhD student and works as a lecturer at Mälardalen University in Sweden. Her main research interests are older peoples’ health and social welfare, and the PhD project has a focus on welfare technology in homecare for older people. She is studying older peoples’ and relatives’ use of welfare technology and social workers’ perspective when welfare technology is implemented in homecare.

Lene Martin is a Registered Nurse, chair professor in Care sciences, director of research at Mälardalen University and an honorary professor at City University, London. At Mälardalen University, she is the leader of the research group Prolonged Independent Living. Her main research interests are older peoples’ health and welfare, health informatics and e-health, and also physiology of vision and care of the ophthalmic patient.

Christine Gustafsson has a background as Registered Nurse and is an associate professor in Care Sciences at Mälardalen University in Sweden (Eskilstuna and Västerås). Her research interests are older people’s health and social welfare, with a special focus on welfare technology and everyday life for adults and older people with intellectual disability. Christine is together with Professor Lars Asplund creator of the social robot cat, JustoCat^®.