Conectar
This study explores the potential of a generative artificial intelligence tool (ChatGPT) as clinical support for nurses. Specifically, we aim to assess whether ChatGPT can demonstrate clinical decision-making equivalent to that of expert nurses and novice nursing students. This will be evaluated by comparing ChatGPT responses to clinical scenarios to those of nurses on different levels of experience.
This is a cross-sectional study.
Emergency room registered nurses (i.e. experts; n = 30) and nursing students (i.e. novices; n = 38) were recruited during March–April 2023. Clinical decision-making was measured using three validated clinical scenarios involving an initial assessment and reevaluation. Clinical decision-making aspects assessed were the accuracy of initial assessments, the appropriateness of recommended tests and resource use and the capacity to reevaluate decisions. Performance was also compared by timing response generations and word counts. Expert nurses and novice students completed online questionnaires (via Qualtrics), while ChatGPT responses were obtained from OpenAI.
Concerning aspects of clinical decision-making and compared to novices and experts: (1) ChatGPT exhibited indecisiveness in initial assessments; (2) ChatGPT tended to suggest unnecessary diagnostic tests; (3) When new information required re-evaluation, ChatGPT responses demonstrated inaccurate understanding and inappropriate modifications. In terms of performance, the mean number of words utilized in ChatGPT answers was 27–41 times greater than that utilized by both experts and novices; and responses were provided approximately 4 times faster than those of novices and twice faster than expert nurses. ChatGPT responses maintained logical structure and clarity.
A generative AI tool demonstrated indecisiveness and a tendency towards over-triage compared to human clinicians.
The study shows that it is important to approach the implementation of ChatGPT as a nurse's digital assistant with caution. More study is needed to optimize the model's training and algorithms to provide accurate healthcare support that aids clinical decision-making.
This study adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines for reporting observational studies.
Patients were not directly involved in the conduct of this study.
Globally, the nursing shortage is a growing concern. Much of the research on retention of nurses focuses on the experience of those who left positions. In this study, we set out to listen to critical care nurses (CCRNs) who have chosen to remain in their positions to understand the factors retaining them in critical care.
This interpretive descriptive study was guided by the following research question: ‘what factors influence CCRN's decision to continue to work in critical care?’
Digitally recorded interviews and a focus group were conducted between July 2022 and January 2023 using a semi-structured, strengths-based interview guide with CCRNs from three critical care units at a tertiary hospital in a city in a central Canadian province. Transcribed interviews were analysed using open, axial and selective coding and constant comparative analysis.
Twenty-two CCRNs participated in interviews and three in a focus group. The theme of Respect, demonstrated through the interconnected concepts of Working to Full Scope, Team, Rotations and Compensation was identified. Working to Full Scope was described as providing nursing care aligned with how each nurse envisions what nursing is. Being part of a Team led by strong nurse leaders that provides opportunities and supports the sharing of their perspectives was also found. Respect was also found to be demonstrated through Rotations that recognize that work is one part of these nurses' lives. Compensation that reflects the increased education, knowledge and skills required in critical care was the final concept of Respect.
Organizations should focus their efforts across the identified concepts to demonstrate Respect for CCRNs and retain them.
The findings of this study provide ways to support the retention of CCRNs.
This research will have an impact on nursing leaders by providing tangible ways to retain CCRNs.
Reporting of this work was guided by the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research.
No patient or public contribution.
To describe the changes in moderate-to-late preterm infants' (MLPIs) growth during 12 months of corrected age (CA) and to examine the predictive role of NICU-related stress, postpartum depression trajectory and family coping ability on the physical developmental trajectory of MLPIs.
A prospective longitudinal study.
There were 237 mother–infant dyads with at least two follow-up data records included. General characteristics and NICU-related stress were recorded from medical records at baseline. Infants' physical growth was measured at 40 weeks, 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months CA during outpatient follow-up. Maternal postpartum depressive symptoms and family coping ability were assessed by questionnaires at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months CA and 1 month CA respectively. We investigated the modifiable factors inside and outside of NICU on the trajectories of physical growth in the first year in MLPIs, mainly by using latent growth curve models with time-varying covariates.
The curved trajectories of weight, length and head circumference in the first year in MLPIs demonstrated gradually slowed growth rates and these infants were above the WHO growth standards for the same age and sex. The latent growth curve models indicated that more NICU-related stress was negatively associated with the weight and length at 40 weeks CA, and family coping ability (parent–child relationship) at 1 month CA was associated with the growth rate of weight. Besides, more NICU-related stress predicted faster length growth rate. The infants of mothers who were in the group of high-level postpartum depression trajectory had a slower growth rate of head circumference.
Our study identified the modifiable factors along the care continuum influencing the trajectory of MLPIs' physical growth. Nurses should receive more training about infant stress measurement and family-centred care to work in partnership with parents so that MLPIs can reach their full developmental potential. Also, multidisciplinary interventions including stress reduction strategies, close psychological monitoring and education improving parent–infant relationships should be further developed to achieve optimizing growth in the first year of MLPIs.
It is recommended that nurses pay attention to the long-term physical growth status of MLPIs, and closely support their families. Quantifying NICU-related stress and developing reduction strategies should be the priority for clinical staff during hospitalization. After discharge, persistent screening of depressive symptoms, psychological intervention and education about the parent–child relationship need to be included in the follow-up visits.
No patient or public contribution. The study only included patients who were research participants.
To explore the views of neonatal intensive care nursing staff on the deliverability of a novel genetic point-of-care test detecting a genetic variant associated with antibiotic-induced ototoxicity.
An interpretive, descriptive, qualitative interview study.
Data were collected using semi-structured interviews undertaken between January and November 2020. Participants were neonatal intensive care nursing staff taking part in the Pharmacogenetics to Avoid Loss of Hearing trial.
Thematic analysis resulted in four themes: perceived clinical utility; the golden hour; point-of-care device; training and support. Recommendations were made to streamline the protocol and ongoing training and support were considered key to incorporating the test into routine care.
Exploring the views of nurses involved in the delivery of the point-of-care test was essential in its implementation. By the study endpoint, all participants could see the value of routine clinical introduction of the point-of care test.
Nurses are in a key position to support the delivery of point-of-care genetic testing into mainstream settings. This study has implications for the successful integration of other genetic point-of-care tests in acute healthcare settings.
The study will help to tailor the training and support required for routine deployment of the genetic point-of-care test. The study has relevance for nurses involved in the development and delivery of genetic point-of-care tests in other acute hospital settings.
This qualitative study adheres to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research EQUATOR guidelines and utilizes COREQ and SRQR checklists.
All staff working on the participating neonatal intensive care units were trained to use the genetic point-of-care test. All inpatients on the participating units were eligible to have testing via the point-of-care test. The Pharmacogenetics to Avoid Loss of Hearing Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement group provided valuable feedback.
Registered within the University of Manchester. Ethics approval reference numbers: IRAS: 253102 REC reference: 19/NW/0400. Also registered with the ISRCTN ref: ISRCTN13704894.
This study aimed to analyse the effects of servant leadership on nurses' emotional failure and compliance with standard precautions and to explore the moderating effect of individual resilience.
A cross-sectional survey.
This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from October 9 to November 1, 2022. The convenience sampling method was used to collect questionnaire data from 924 clinical nurses in a third-class general hospital in Chongqing, China.
The emotional exhaustion and compliance with standard precautions were at the general level. Servant leadership mediated by emotional exhaustion had a significant positive predictive effect on compliance with standard precautions. Personal resilience played a negative moderating role in the relationship between servant leadership and emotional exhaustion. For nurses with low resilience, servant leadership had a greater impact on emotional exhaustion.
The current compliance with standard precautions for clinical nurses is not high due to emotional exhaustion. The level of servant leadership can alleviate nurses' emotional exhaustion and improve compliance with standard precautions. Especially for nurses with low personal resilience, the care and support of department leaders are needed.
We found that the compliance with standard precautions is not high, and the link between emotional exhaustion, servant leadership and compliance with standard precautions provides a basis for further patient care.
There was no patient or public involvement.
Nurses are the key population for hospital infection prevention and control, and their level of compliance with standard precautions is of great significance for hospital infection prevention and control. However, in practice, nurses' compliance with standard precautions is generally low. Most of the previous studies on nurses' compliance with standard precautions were conducted from the perspective of individual nurses, based on the staff's ‘knowledge, belief, and action’ to study the current status of compliance with standard precautions and the factors affecting adherence, with less attention paid to the influence of psychological, environmental, and organizational factors. Therefore, the study focuses on the impact of servant leadership and emotional exhaustion on standard precautionary adherence, which is of great significance for good care management at the organizational level. It also explored how the impact of servant leadership on emotional exhaustion varies across levels of resilience, which is important for accurately identifying different types of nursing staff and targeting assistance.
This study offers an empirical exploration of self-assessed digital competencies of students, most of whom studied in nursing courses, using a discipline-based self-assessment survey tool. A range of digital competencies were explored: information and communication technology proficiency and productivity, information literacy, digital creation, digital research, digital communication, digital learning and development, digital innovation, digital identity management and digital well-being.
A cross-sectional empirical study.
Quantitative data were collected from November to December 2021 via a questionnaire survey administered to students. Quantitative results were reported through descriptive statistical analysis. Mann–Whitney (U-test) and Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric statistical tests were used to identify statistically significant differences based on age demographics and pre- or post-registration course. Thematic analysis was utilized for survey open-ended questions data.
Students reported low competencies in the following digital literacy dimensions, all of which were imperative for their studies and for their future professional careers: information literacy, digital research, digital innovation. Significant statistical subgroup differences were found between age demographics and pre/post-registration within most of the digital competence dimensions. The survey open-ended comments revealed that students encountered challenges around digital skills they had mostly developed via everyday life experiences and trial-and-error approaches.
Increasing awareness of existing digital gaps and offering tailored digital skills enhancement can empower students as future-proof evidence-based practitioners in an evolving digital healthcare landscape.
Highlights the importance of embedding digital literacy within nursing study programmes, as preparation for comprehensive patient healthcare.
Offers insights into digital competencies gaps of nursing students. Proposes targeted educational digital skills training interventions. Stresses the value of academic staff supporting nursing students to develop digital skills in important areas of professional practice.
JBI critical appraisal checklist.
No patient or public contribution.
Elder abuse is a global human rights issue, particularly in residential care settings where there is limited understanding of older people's experiences of this phenomenon. This scoping review aims to map and describe the existing literature on this phenomenon.
Using Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review methodology, further developed by Levac et al. and the Joanna Briggs Institute, a systematic search of six databases was conducted to identify relevant studies published from inception to January 2023. Studies were included if they focused on older people's experience of abuse within residential care settings. A comprehensive data extraction process was employed to identify key themes from the included studies.
The initial search yielded a total of 3701 articles of which eight met the inclusion criteria. The findings revealed a range of abusive experiences encountered by older people living in residential care settings, including psychological, physical, financial, neglect and sexual abuse. The common attributes of residents vulnerable to abuse were evident throughout each of the studies. Finally, the theme of organizational neglect was apparent through the absence of effective safeguarding measures in the included studies. The findings revealed the insufficient implementation of safeguarding measures increases the risk of abuse among residents.
This scoping review highlights the limited research on the experiences of older people who have encountered elder abuse in residential care settings. The findings stress the need for further research exploring the complex interplay of factors contributing to elder abuse within aged care settings. The insights gained from this scoping review can inform the development of comprehensive safeguarding strategies to prevent and address elder abuse in residential care settings, promoting the well-being and safety of older people.
This project is a scoping review of the literature; therefore, no patient or public contribution was deemed necessary.
Most research on elder abuse has been conducted in the community rather than in Residential Care Settings where there is a limited understanding of older people’s experiences of abuse within the published literature. The scoping review highlights the presence of inadequate safeguarding strategies in Residential Care Settings within the reviewed studies, providing recommendations for developing and improving safeguarding measures in Residential Care Settings to prevent abuse, neglect, and harm in the future.
Pressure injury prevention is complex, and rates continue to rise. Checklists reduce human error, improve adherence and standardization with complex processes, focus attention on evidence-based practices derived from clinical practice guidelines and are arranged in a systematic manner to manage the entirety of a patient's risk for preventable outcomes. The original Standardized Pressure Injury Prevention Protocol was created to provide a checklist of pressure injury prevention measures but needed revision and validation.
This article describes the revision and content validity testing of the Standardized Pressure Injury Prevention Protocol Checklist 2.0 that took place in 2022.
Using the International 2019 Clinical Practice Guideline as a foundation, items were identified/revised, and expert review of the items was obtained. The Standardized Pressure Injury Prevention Protocol 2.0 underwent three rounds of revision by experts from the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel. A panel of eight national experts completed the content validity survey. Individual item content validity index and total scale content validity index were used to summarize the content validity survey scores.
The individual item content validity index scores ranged from 0.5 to 1.0. One item (using a mirror to look at heels) was rated as 0.5, three items were 0.75, 20 items were 0.875 and 23 items were 1.0. The item scoring 0.5 was deleted. Those items scoring 0.75 were revised using the content experts' recommendations. The total scale content validity index was 0.93.
The Standardized Pressure Injury Prevention Protocol 2.0 provides a standardized checklist of evidence-based items that operationalize a rigorous clinical practice guideline for the prevention of pressure injuries. Early intervention using a standardized approach and evidence-based checklist that can be integrated into the workflow of the direct-care nurse and provider provides the best opportunity for successful and sustainable pressure injury prevention.
To explore potential areas of low-value home-based nursing care practices, their prevalence and related influencing factors of nurses and nursing assistants working in home-based nursing care.
A quantitative, cross-sectional design.
An online survey with questions containing scaled frequencies on five-point Likert scales and open questions on possible related influencing factors of low-value nursing care. The data collection took place from February to April 2022. Descriptive statistics and linear regression were used to summarize and analyse the results.
A nationwide sample of 776 certified nursing assistants, registered nurses and nurse practitioners responded to the survey. The top five most delivered low-value care practices reported were: (1) ‘washing the client with water and soap by default’, (2) ‘application of zinc cream, powders or pastes when treating intertrigo’, (3) ‘washing the client from head to toe daily’, (4) ‘re-use of a urinary catheter bag after removal/disconnection’ and (5) ‘bladder irrigation to prevent clogging of urinary tract catheter’. The top five related influencing factors reported were: (1) ‘a (general) practitioner advices/prescribes it’, (2) ‘written in the client's care plan’, (3) ‘client asks for it’, (4) ‘wanting to offer the client something’ and (5) ‘it is always done like this in the team’. Higher educational levels and an age above 40 years were associated with a lower provision of low-value care.
According to registered nurses and certified nursing assistants, a number of low-value nursing practices occurred frequently in home-based nursing care and they experienced multiple factors that influence the provision of low-value care such as (lack of) clinical autonomy and handling clients' requests, preferences and demands. The results can be used to serve as a starting point for a multifaceted de-implementation strategy.
STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies.
No Patient or Public Contribution.
Nursing care is increasingly shifting towards the home environment. Not all nursing care that is provided is effective or efficient and this type of care can therefore be considered of low-value. Reducing low-value care and increasing appropriate care will free up time, improve quality of care, work satisfaction, patient safety and contribute to a more sustainable healthcare system.
To investigate the experiences of men struggling with infertility.
This is a qualitative study, and the report follows the COREQ checklist.
A team of nurse researchers conducted this research in Iran to examine the experiences of 11 men with primary infertility. The participants were selected through targeted sampling and underwent in-depth semi-structured interviews. The data collected was analysed using the conventional content analysis method outlined by Krippendorff. To ensure the study's accuracy, it followed the criteria proposed by Lincoln and Guba.
The central theme, “the threat to masculinity,” was identified upon analysis. It comprises six categories: psychological pressure of confronting reality, frustration, discomfort with others, holding out against ridicule, tolerating unwanted opinions and advice and concealment of infertility and therapy.
This study brings attention to the challenge to masculinity that men with primary infertility face as their central struggle. It highlights the importance of culturally sensitive care from healthcare professionals, emotional support, counselling services and public awareness to reduce the stigma surrounding male infertility. It can be valuable to evaluate and enhance infertility care in various settings.
To provide the best possible care for infertile men, it would be beneficial for nurses to pay more attention to sociocultural factors. Fertility care should be respectful of patients' beliefs and backgrounds.
Infertility care has been the subject of recent research, focusing on the impact of sociocultural factors. Male-factor infertility is often overlooked in clinical care literature. There is a correlation between cultural background and men's acceptance of reproductive healthcare.
Male infertility is often avoided in discussions due to its perceived threat to masculinity. Multiple factors, including societal norms, cultural expectations and personal experiences, influence the nature of men's struggles with infertility. Providing emotional support and counselling services is crucial so that men can openly discuss their fertility challenges and seek treatment without feeling ashamed or judged.
Raising public awareness and providing education about male infertility is crucial. Nurses must exhibit cultural sensitivity while caring for men experiencing infertility. Policymakers need to implement strategies to reduce the stigma surrounding male infertility.
The study is reported using the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ).
No public or patient involvement.
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between nurses' perception of toxic leadership and their organizational trust levels and turnover intentions.
This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey of 168 nurses working in public and university hospitals.
Data were collected between April and November 2022 with the Toxic Leadership Scale, Organizational Trust Scale and Turnover Intention Scale. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression analyses were used to analyse these data.
It was determined that almost half of the nurses (46.4%) were exposed to negative behaviours from their managers within the last year. Nurses' perception of toxic leadership, organizational trust level and turnover intention were moderate. It was found that nurses' perceptions of toxic leadership had a negative effect on organizational trust level (R 2 = .691; β = −0.832; p < .05) and a positive significant effect on turnover intention (R 2 = .267; β = 0.521; p < .05).
This study revealed that toxic leadership behaviours in health organizations should be struggled with to increase nurses' organizational trust and reduce their turnover. In this context, an organizational culture in which toxic behaviours are not tolerated should be established in health organizations.
What problem did the study address? In the literature, mostly positive leadership behaviours of nurse managers are emphasized and little is known about their negative behaviours such as toxic leadership.
What were the main findings? It was determined that nurses who perceived more toxic behaviour from their managers had less trust in their organizations and higher turnover intention.
On whom will the research have an impact? To provide a positive working environment and reduce turnover, it is necessary to create an organizational culture in which the toxic behaviours of nurse managers are not tolerated.
No patient or public contribution.
The study aims to analyse the principal causes of patients' care calls and compare differences before and after inpatient beds' technological modernization in a surgical breast oncological ward.
A prospective observational study was conducted under the STROBE guidelines. Data were collected from June to September 2022.
Statistical analyses were performed to compare each reason for care calls, by shifts and pre and post-inpatient bed modernization.
Two thousand five hundred and fifty-nine care request calls were analysed during the 202 observed shifts. The most frequent reason was related to the requests for positions.
Technological modernization of the beds has not led to effective—positive—changes; on the contrary, it seems at first glance to show an upward trend in calls above all in the short period after the changes.
What problem did the study address? By analysing the principal causes of care calls and comparing the differences before and after inpatient beds' technological modernization, this study evaluates if inpatient gear or device modernization can impact care call requests. What were the main findings? The results show that the most frequent reasons for care calls were position, possession and other. These findings seem not superimposable; the hypothesis supported by the international literature in which the causes relating to potty and pain were found among the main reasons. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? These results could impact the care organizational area in nursing care and could improve care quality, patient satisfaction and safety.
This prospective observational study was conducted following STROBE guidelines.
After adequate information (presentation, design methods and objectives), all unit healthcare staff agreed to collaborate in the study.
To identify strategies that develop clinical nursing leadership competencies among staff nurses, and to explain the contextual elements and mechanisms that underpin the development of clinical nursing leadership competencies.
Realist review according to the Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses—Evolving Standards (RAMESES).
PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library, PsycInfo and ProQuest were searched from January 2000 until October 2022.
Three iterative phases: (1) development of initial programme theory, (2) structured searches for relevant published and grey literature and (3) data synthesis and interpretation by researchers and theory triangulation, and discussions within the research group.
Multiple context–mechanism–outcome configurations were extracted from 10 reports that explain how, under what circumstances and why strategies can facilitate (or discourage) staff nurses to act as clinical leaders. Reports were both quantitative and qualitative in design, originating from English-speaking countries only.
A logic model was developed and suggests four contexts and five mechanisms underlying the development of clinical nursing leadership. Growth in clinical nursing leadership was mainly experienced through experiential learning, which was enhanced by a supportive relationship with a coach or mentor, the use of reflective practices and modelling from other leaders. Furthermore, a supportive work environment triggers ownership, confidence and motivation, and thereby growth in clinical nursing leadership competencies.
Fostering competencies for clinical leadership among staff nurses requires multifaceted strategies. Strategies are successful if, and only if, they combine learning by doing, by knowing and by observing, and establish a responsive work environment. Hospital policy should ensure that staff nurses have access to reciprocal relationships with role models or a coach. In order to grow as clinical nurse leader, ownership and self-reflection on own leadership behaviour need to be facilitated.
Prospero ID CRD42021292290.
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between advanced nurse practitioners' self-leadership and commitment to the workplace, work engagement and influence at work.
The concept of self-leadership is particularly suited to ANPs, who are required to take responsibility for their work roles. An optimum balance between the ANPs' psychosocial work environment and self-leadership may positively impact work ability in this group and can be compromised by interactions between and among these variables.
A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted from July 2020 to August 2020 on 153 ANPs across a national health service.
The survey was distributed to respondents online. The revised self-leadership questionnaire was used to measure self-leadership, and three scales from the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire were used to measure commitment to the workplace, work engagement and influence at work. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the association between self-leadership and the psychosocial variables.
ANPs with high levels of self-leadership reported high levels of work engagement and commitment to the workplace. No relationship was found between self-leadership and influence at work.
Improving self-leadership among ANPs by involving them in strategic leadership activities at an organizational level could be an effective strategy for optimizing the role and facilitating ANPs to contribute at an organizational level beyond the clinical interface. However, organizational support is required to ensure that ANPs practise to the full potential of their training and capability.
No patient or public contribution.
This study provided new evidence of a relationship between ANPs' self-leadership and psychosocial factors. This study found that ANPs with high levels of self-leadership reported high levels of work engagement and commitment to the workplace. Policymakers and organizational leaders can optimize the ANP role and facilitate ANPs to contribute strategically to improve care systems. This study identifies a relationship between ANPs' self-leadership and specific psychosocial variables.
To explore the lived experiences of caregivers of people living in long-term care (LTC) homes during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic and potential supports and resources needed to improve caregivers' quality of life.
Carers (or care partners) of adults in LTC contribute substantially to the health and well-being of their loved ones by providing physical care, emotional support and companionship. Despite their critical role, little is known about how caregivers have been impacted by the pandemic.
An interpretive descriptive approach that incorporated the photovoice method was used.
Using a purposive sampling strategy, six family carers in Ontario, Canada were recruited between September and December 2021. Over a 4-week period, caregivers took pictures depicting their experience of the pandemic that were shared in a virtual focus group. Visual and text data were analysed using thematic analysis with an inductive approach.
Caregivers expressed feelings of frustration, confusion and joy. Emerging themes included: (i) feeling like a ‘criminal’ amidst visitor restrictions and rules; (ii) experiencing uncertainty and disappointment in the quality of care of long-term care homes; (iii) going through burnout; and (iv) focusing on small joys and cherished memories.
The combination of visual and textual methods provided unique insight into the mental distress, isolation and intense emotional burdens experienced by caregivers during the pandemic.
Our findings underscore the need for LTC organizations to work in unison with caregivers to optimize the care of residents and support the mental health of caregivers.
This work adhered to the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) checklist.
The caregivers included in the study were involved in the co-creative process as active contributors informing the design and validation of the codes and themes.
The aim of this study was to explore factors that influence family caregiver readiness to adopt health smart home technology for their care-dependent older adult family member. Health smart homes are designed to remotely monitor the health and wellness of community-dwelling older adults supporting independent living for as long as possible. Accordingly, if the health smart home is deployed into the home of a care-depended older adult, it can potentially support family caregivers by facilitating workforce participation and give piece of mind to the family caregiver who may not live close to the older adult. However, wider adoption of health smart home technologies into the homes of community-older adults is low, and little is known about the factors that influence the readiness of family caregivers to adopt smart home technologies for their care-dependent older adults.
A qualitative Descriptive study design was utilized.
Qualitative data were collected between 2019 and 2020 via semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis of interviews was completed, and data were organized into themes.
Study findings show that caregiver readiness (N = 10) to adopt smart home technology to monitor older adult family members were influenced by five primary themes including a ‘big brother effect’, ‘framing for acceptance’, ‘data privacy’, ‘burden’ and ‘cost.’
Family caregivers were open to adopting smart home technology to support the independent living of their older adult family members. However, the readiness of family caregivers was inextricably linked to the older adults' readiness for smart home adoption. The family caregiver's primary concern was on how they could frame the idea of the smart home to overcome what they viewed as hesitancy to adopt in the older adult. The findings suggest that family caregivers endeavour to balance the hesitancy in their older adult family members with the potential benefits of smart home technology.
Family caregivers could benefit if their care-dependent older adults adopt smart home technology. Recognizing the role of caregivers and their perspectives on using smart home technologies with their care-dependents is critical to the meaningful design, use and adoption.
FreshRSS 