Satisfaction and Improvements in Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes Associated with Telehealth

Abstract

SummaryBackground and Significance: End stage renal disease (ESRD) affects approximately 660,000 persons in the US each year, representing a significant financial burden to the health care system and affected individuals. Telehealth approaches to care offer an important means of reducing costs as well as increasing autonomy for patients. Understanding patient satisfaction with telehealth provides a key towards eventual scalability. Materials and Methods: Quarterly surveys were conducted to characterize satisfaction with remote biometric monitoring (RBM) for blood pressure, weight, glucose and peritoneal dialysis (PD)-specific educational online videos for ESRD patients using PD. Results: Of 300 participants, 67% participated in the surveys and provided baseline and at least one follow-up assessment. The majority were 45 to 64 years of age (50.5%), Black (64.5%), married or living with significant other (52.0%), and had more than a high school degree (73.0%). RBM was associated with perceived autonomy and confidence in health care activities and decreased negative perceptions of PD care and ESRD. The majority of participants (80.1%) indicated that they were satisfied or completely satisfied with the system. Participants found that the interface increased confidence, reduced frustration, and related perceptions were significantly and positively altered (p<0.05) for each of the separate telehealth components. Educational videos were well utilized with nearly half of the participants (42.5%) reporting that they watched at least one of the videos, and the majority reporting that the videos seen had an overall positive impact on health. Discussion and Conclusions: Supplementing PD with telehealth has the potential to have a positive impact on patient perceptions of PD care and consequently improve clinical outcomes.

Patient experiences with technology enabled care across healthcare settings- a systematic review

“…Empowerment also reduced frustrations related to technological features [58,60]. COPD patients reported that the telehealth equipment lead to active engagement in health service provision and better access to healthcare [39].…”

A Feasibility Study of a Telehealth Intervention on Health Care Service Utilization among Transgender Women of Color in Washington, DC

“…As we have found in another telehealth study among a larger chronic disease population, 31 specialized video applications that offer face-to-face viewing may not be required to support patients remotely. Participants connected effectively with PHC staff via less novel telecommunication channels such as text, e-mail, and phone; video contact was not required.…”

Factors Affecting Patients' Acceptance of and Satisfaction with Cloud-Based Telehealth for Chronic Disease Management: A Case Study in the Workplace

“…Furthermore, high user satisfaction indicates that telehealth services are suitable for use in workplace health management. Unlike early telehealth, which only connected hospital and home, 13,22 this cloud-based telehealth platform can provide care at multiple locations, connecting community-based health care providers and patients across the lifecycle of care delivery-in the workplace, hospital, and at home.…”

“…7 There is a large body of evidence that supports the use of innovative technologies, such as telehealth, to monitor and manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, orthopedic conditions, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or renal disease at a distance and as frequently as necessary. 4,[8][9][10][11][12][13] Although there has been a high level of interest in using technology in health care and significant growth is expected in this area, 14 implementation has not been without problems, and many of the forecasts have not yet been fully realized. 15,16 For example, many telehealth services that started with pilot or small-scale projects are not regularly maintained, 15,17,18 and telehealth is still not considered a mainstream activity in the health sector.…”