Informing telehealth service delivery for cardiovascular disease management: exploring the perceptions of rural health professionals
Lucy Kocanda
A B C D F , Karin Fisher B , Leanne J. Brown B C D , Jennifer May B , Megan E. Rollo D E , Clare E. Collins D E , Andrew Boyle A C and Tracy L. Schumacher A B C D
A School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia. Email: andrew.boyle@newcastle.edu.au; tracy.schumacher@newcastle.edu.au
B Department of Rural Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Tamworth, NSW 2340, Australia. Email: karin.fisher@newcastle.edu.au; leanne.brown@newcastle.edu.au; jennifer.may@newcastle.edu.au
C Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia.
D Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia. Email: megan.rollo@newcastle.edu.au; clare.collins@newcastle.edu.au
E School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
F Corresponding author. Email: lucy.kocanda@newcastle.edu.au
Australian Health Review 45(2) 241-246 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH19231
Submitted: 10 October 2019 Accepted: 12 May 2020 Published: 15 March 2021
Journal Compilation © AHHA 2021 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND
Abstract
Objective To explore the perceptions of rural health professionals who use telehealth services for cardiovascular health care, including the potential role of telehealth in enhancing services for this patient group.
Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten rural health professionals across a range of disciplines, including medicine, nursing and allied health. All study participants were based in the same rural region in New South Wales, Australia.
Results Participant responses emphasised the importance of including rural communities in ongoing dialogue to enhance telehealth services for cardiovascular care. Divergent expectations about the purpose of telehealth and unresolved technology issues were identified as factors to be addressed. Rural health professionals highlighted the importance of all stakeholders coming together to overcome barriers and enhance telehealth services in a collaborative manner.
Conclusion This study contributes to an evolving understanding of how health professionals based in regional Australia experience telehealth services. Future telehealth research should proceed in collaboration with rural communities, supported by policy that actively facilitates the meaningful inclusion of rural stakeholders in telehealth dialogue.
What is known about the topic? Telehealth is frequently discussed as a potential solution to overcome aspects of rural health, such as poor outcomes and limited access to services compared with metropolitan areas. In the context of telehealth and cardiovascular disease (CVD), research that focuses on rural communities is limited, particularly regarding the experiences of these communities with telehealth.
What does this paper add? This paper offers insight into how telehealth is experienced by rural health professionals. The paper highlights divergent expectations of telehealth’s purpose and unresolved technological issues as barriers to telehealth service delivery. It suggests telehealth services may be enhanced by collaborative approaches that engage multiple stakeholder groups.
What are the implications for practitioners? The use and development of telehealth in rural communities requires a collaborative approach that considers the views of rural stakeholders in their specific contexts. To improve telehealth services for people living with CVD in rural communities, it is important that rural stakeholders have opportunities to engage with non-rural clinicians, telehealth developers and policy makers.
Keywords: cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular health, cardiovascular inequalities, CVD, e-health, health services, regional Australia, rural Australia, rural clinicians, rural communities, rural health professionals, telehealth, telemedicine.
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