Ulcer interaction - Interaction through a web-based patient record in ulcer treatment

The project analyses changes in knowledge and roles, and empowerment of patients by investigating how much and how health care professionals use new opportunities for interaction opened by access to an ulcer patient record and how tasks are distributed. The purpose of the ulcer record is to optimize treatment and care.

The project will analyze:

1. How interaction is practiced today, with an emphasis on how knowledge and tasks are distributed and shared, as well as division of roles and responsibilities
2. If and how knowledge traditions and tasks are altered and consolidated in new interaction patterns. Improvement of services as a consequence?
3. If and how roles and responsibilities are altered in the emerging patterns of use
4. How the objective of optimizing the level of care is affected, including empowerment of patients

Background

The Report No. 47 to the Storting, The Norwegian Coordination Reform, argues that insufficient coordination is the main reason that people with chronic diseases too easily lose out in the current health care system. Challenges occur when the patient needs collaboration between specialist and municipalities and when communication and dialogue is needed between different professionals. The challenges should be approached with willingness and ability to work out new solutions, and the report states that there should be incentives for teaming up. An important tool is to implement ICT systems throughout the health services. The web based ulcer record enables storing, forwarding and receiving documentation between different professionals and levels of care. The goal is to produce incentives for proper treatment for patients – at the right place and right time.

Project description

The project starts June 2010 and runs through 2012. The main focus the first half year will be re configuration of the web based record as a consequence of ongoing negotiations with legal and security regulations. Interview guides will be developed, and incorporation of patients and professionals takes place consecutively as soon as the service starts running. Initial interviews with the ulcer team at the University hospital will be carried out. Interview with general practitioners, home services and patients are ongoing as patients are enrolled in the services. The project is currently interviewing and analyzing interview data.

Project partners

The Ulcer Record is a collaborative effort between Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine, the ulcer team at the University Hospital of Tromso and Danish Telemedicine who has developed the record. The research project is a NST project in collaboration with the University Hospital of Tromsø.

Funding

The Ulcer interaction research project is funded by the Health North regional research program: Health services research, integrated care and telemedicine.

Project participant

Marianne Trondsen, e-mail: email hidden; JavaScript is required, tel.: +47 415 10 792.