ICT-driven improvement of interprofessional collaboration between a rural clinic and nursing home: A mixed method

Background Rural shortages of medical resources inhibit interprofessional collaboration, and nursing home patient care is difficult due to constant need of resources. We investigate the effectiveness of information computer technology (ICT) in facilitating collaboration between medical and care professionals. Methods A concurrent mixed method analyzed ICT's effects on collaboration between physicians and nursing home staff, using a two-month prospective cohort study. Staff used an ICT-based information-sharing system. Direct content analysis was used on the shared information. Additionally, one-on-one interviews with physicians and nurses were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results In total, 40 patients (average age 88) participated. Half had conditions shared using the ICT system. Information was shared 140 times, median response time was 80.5 min. Common contents related to terminal care (physicians) and vital signs (nursing home staff). Thematic analysis revealed four themes: seamless collaboration, security, time-saving, and accustomation. Conclusion ICT increases efficiency of interprofessional collaboration and security for nurses and care workers. To promote ICT, continual usage and facilitation of veteran nurses overcoming their technological difficulties is required.