The following is a summary of “Experiences with patient-initiated follow-up supported by asynchronous telemedicine in spondyloarthritis: a mixed methods study,” published in the December 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Smits et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the experiences of patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) and healthcare providers (HCPs) with patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) supported by asynchronous telemedicine (TM).
They conducted individual, semi-structured interviews with 21 patients and 9 HCPs who had participated in the telemonitoring in spondyloarthritis (TeleSpA) trial and analyzed the data thematically. PIFU/TM includes a yearly in-person visit with remote monitoring at 6-month intervals. Additionally, 13 HCPs completed a quantitative survey, which was analyzed descriptively.
The results showed that most patients and HCPs found PIFU/TM acceptable, given sufficient health- and digital literacy and motivation. Most patients reported no burdensome changes to personal responsibility, and both in-person and remote communication ran smoothly. Advantages for patients included time savings, improved disease insight, and increased self-efficacy. Some HCPs experienced greater flexibility in daily planning. Key prerequisites for sustainable implementation included adequate infrastructure for diagnostic tests, rapid access to the outpatient clinic, technical/logistical support, and a user-friendly monitoring tool integrated with hospital systems. Future research should focus on refining the design and delivery of TM questionnaires.
They concluded that PIFU/TM was an acceptable approach for motivated patients with SpA who had adequate health and digital literacy. They identified preserved clinic accessibility and ancillary support as essential for its sustainable implementation.
Source: academic.oup.com/rheumatology/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/rheumatology/keae650/7917341
