Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

This study obtains healthcare providers perspectives on the role of digital technology in promoting health for low-resource patients. A focus group (fourteen providers) and key informant interviews (three providers) lasting sixty minutes were conducted. Respondents were medical doctors, behavioral health specialists, medical assistants, and nurse practitioners. The study questions the role of wearable devices in supporting health, the perceived barriers to incorporating patient health information from mobile devices into workflow, and the identification of information to support working with digitally-savvy patients. Responses were tape-recorded and later transcribed, data were analyzed for common themes, and respondents were offered $75 for participation. Healthcare providers (HCP) see benefits of mobile technology to promote patients’ health. They identify health status tracking capacity (depression, anxiety, blood pressure, and blood glucose) to be potentially valuable in advancing work with patients. Though interested in incorporating digital health data into healthcare practices, perceived barriers include added work load, and not knowing how to integrate new information into existing work systems. To effectively work with digitally-aware patients, HCP would benefit from information that helps to identify patients likely to use mobile technology, and information identifying evidence-based mobile devices, so that they can confidently recommend the devices to patients.