Authors:
Marie-Pierre Gagnon
1
;
Mame Awa Ndiaye
2
;
Mylène Boucher
2
;
Samantha Dequanter
3
;
Ronald Buyl
3
;
Ellen Gorus
4
;
Anne Bourbonnais
5
;
Anik Giguère
6
and
Samira Abbasgholizadeh Rahimi
7
Affiliations:
1
Faculty of Nursing sciences, Université Laval, Québec, Canada, Research Center on Healthcare and Services in Primary Care of Université Laval (CERSSPL-UL), Québec, Canada
;
2
Research Center on Healthcare and Services in Primary Care of Université Laval (CERSSPL-UL), Québec, Canada
;
3
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Public Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
;
4
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Gerontology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
;
5
Faculty of Nursing Sciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
;
6
Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
;
7
Department of Family Medicine, Mc Gill University, Montréal, Canada, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
Keyword(s):
e-Health, Information and Communication Technology, Aging, Cognitive Impairment, Dementia, Healthcare Providers, Perceptions.
Abstract:
e-Health solutions offer a potential to improve the quality of life and safety of older adults with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In making better decisions for using eHealth technologies, health professionals should be aware and well informed about existing tools. Recent research shows the lack of knowledge on these technologies for older adults with dementia. In Quebec, current market offer for these technologies is supply-based, and not need-based. This study is part of a larger project and aims to understand the perceptions and needs of health and social care providers regarding e-health technologies for older adults with dementia or MCI. One focus group was carried out with six health and social care professionals at the St-Sacrement Hospital in Quebec City, Canada. The focus group enquired about the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) with older adults with cognitive impairment. Relevant examples of ICTs were presented to assess their knowledge
level. The discussion was tape-recorded and transcripts were coded using the Nvivo software. Results revealed that aside from fall safety technologies, there is a lack of knowledge about other e-Health technologies for this population. Respondents acknowledged the value of ICTs and were willing to recommend some of them. Economic reasons, blind trust on ICTs and lack of confidence in patients’ capacity to use the solutions were the major limitations identified.
(More)