A Qualitative Study of How ICT Can Assist in theCreation of Patient Centered Healthcare Systems in Regard to Chronic Diseases and its Effect on Caregiver Roles

Abstract:

Current medical systems are facing serious challenges due to increasing lifestyle-based illnesses and aging populations. As healthcare becomes one of the world’s largest industries and employers, healthcare spending continues to climb. Recent theories of healthcare transformation favor movement toward patient centered care, thus reorganizing medical procedures to favor patient requirements in addition to improvements in efficiency and quality. Perhaps the most effective enabler of such transformation is Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Through appropriate use of ICT many of the major problems afflicting modern care may be mitigated if not overcome, as well as providing promising tools to assist in chronic disease treatment and prevention. This paper seeks to investigate these possibilities in regard to cardiovascular disease and diabetes patients as well as assessing what effect such ICT would have on the role of the caregiver. The core source of data analyzed in this thesis comes from in-depth qualitative interviews with experts in the field of medicine and medical research/support. This work begins with a global overview of the serious challenges currently facing health care, and some current examples of ICT systems. Following this the research limitations and scope is described as well as the methods of data gathering through an initial literature review and qualitative interviews. Important theory is next discussed and a framework for analysis using models of patient centered care and the cycle of care are detailed. Using these theoretical models the accomplished qualitative interviews are described as well as how they iteratively developed the concepts of patient centered care and ICT applications detailed in this work.The analysis of these problem areas as well as the generation of ICT solutions can be of great importance to the healthcare field as the problems outlined represent endemic issues for global health care regardless of region and potentially threaten national budgets with enormous cost overruns. In addition to this the ICT technology industry represents an immense market that is likely to expand in the future. These services include Electronic Health Records which are currently seeing wide implementation, Remote Patient Monitoring which continues to gain wider acceptance, data collection systems for analysis within and without hospitals as well as the explosion of mobile applications assisting in health measurements and lifestyle decision support. This report reaches conclusions outlining methods of ICT implementation, methods of overcoming problem areas as well as implications for caregivers working with ICT technology in patient centered processes. This thesis project was undertaken through a research initiative of Ericsson and under Ericsson supervision and support.