Integrating Digital Assistive Technologies Into Care Processes: Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND This study aimed to examine the extent to which a structured and guided integration and education process supports caregivers in care setting nursing homes in integrating digital assistive technologies (DAT) into nursing practices. Hence, qualitative interviews were conducted to explore conditions for success, and quantitative surveys, with accompanying questionnaire surveys on intention to use, were used to capture learning effects and changes. OBJECTIVE Current challenges in the care of patients have increased research activities, with a focus on technologies in nursing. However, how caregivers and nurses can be introduced to digital assistive technologies’ application must be clarified before discussing the application[s] itself. Therefore, the question of how digital assistive technologies can be integrated into nursing processes is discussed. However, structured and effective educational concepts for patient-oriented integration of digital assistive technologies in the nursing sector are currently not available METHODS A sequential-exploratory study design with a mixed-methods approach was selected. Following a complex and structured training concept within 26 institutions of elderly nursing care homes followed by a quantitative assessment, guided qualitative interviews with nurses (n=12) were conducted and supplemented by a quantitative survey using a standardized questionnaire, wherein the learning effects were recorded at three measurement points. The participating nurses were able to test 6 digital and assistive technologies in real world over a period of 3 days. RESULTS The general willingness to integrate digital assistive technologies as an additional resource in the nursing process was already high among the group of caregivers and nurses prior to the educational concepts. The structured educational concept provides background knowledge and sensitizes caregivers and nurses to digital transformation, enables the evaluation of how digital assistive technologies fit, qualifies these technologies for correct application, and promotes their use. Nurses express specific ideas and requirements for both technology-related education concepts and nursing technologies. CONCLUSIONS The results revealed that actively fixing a match between technical support and physical limitation and patients’ needs is crucial when selecting digital assistive technologies and integrating them into nursing processes. To this end, a structured, accompanying educational concept like SEQI that specifically strengthens the competences of caregivers to integrate DAT can help unfold the potential of such technologies in care. Practical application-oriented learning influences long-term implementation. CLINICALTRIAL German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) registration number: DRKS00024967 https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00024967