Exploring Psychological Underpinnings of Medical Professionals' Perceptions of Telehealth Implementation in Palliative Care

Abstract

Telehealth technology advancements have renewed interest in its potential to provide more home-based care by extending human resources, improving access to services and minimizing costs of the provision and receipt of specialist care (Herbert, Korabek, & Scott, 2006). The aim of this study was to explore how medical professionals perceive telehealth and what psychological factors contribute to the formation of these opinions. A qualitative design was employed using semi-structured interviews to obtain the views of medical professionals (N=8) who carried out a range of roles involved in palliative care. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted on verbatim transcriptions. Three themes were recurrent across the interviews; a changing culture within society and organizations, elements of the patient-professional relationship which included trust and the importance of human touch. The final theme identified was perceived technological competence. Increased knowledge of the psychological constructs of medical professionals’ perceptions of telehealth will benefit healthcare managers responsible for making decisions about implementing and training for telehealth in care delivery.