Experience with Videoconferencing
       Between Municipal Oncology Nurses and Their Patients



                 Lisbeth Østgaard Rygg, PhD 1, Hildfrid V. Brataas, Professor 2,
                                    Bente Nordtug, PhD 3,
                    1
                      Nord University, Faculty of Nursing and Health Science
                    2
                      Nord University, Faculty of Nursing and Health Science
                    3
                      Nord University, Faculty of Nursing and Health Science



             Objective: To describe the experience of oncology certified nurses
       (ONC) and their patients’ use of videoconferencing (VC) in cancer
       nursing in primary care.
             Design: A qualitative phenomenological hermeneutic design is
       used to describe the nurses’ and
             patients’ experiences of videoconferencing. This pilot study was
       conducted in a six months period between 2016 and 2017. Data were
       collected by means of interviews and field notes.
             Setting: Primary care ONCs and patients living in their homes. By
       means of VC, patients could maintain follow-up contact with the ONCs
       in primary care via sound and picture.
             Participants: Four ONCs and eight patients in three municipalities
       participated.
             Preliminary results: Preliminary results reveal several categories
       of experiences: technical challenges in municipal health IT systems;
       ONCs experiencing VC as a useful timesaving tool in care for families
       with cancer; and patients experiencing the opportunity to have contact
       with oncology nurses as reassuring.
             In setting up the study, technical challenges with access to
       communications for the nurses via VC were discovered. To solve this
       challenge, a collaboration between computer technicians connected to
       the study team and computer technicians in the municipalities,
       established communication.
             ONCs experienced VC as a useful tool in working with patients
       with cancer living in their homes. By using picture and sound, they
       could observe patients better than by using a phone or text messaging.
       They found that by using VC some home visits could be eliminated,
       saving important travel time that they could use on nursing.
             The patients experienced the VC as an opportunity to have contact
       with the oncology nurse wherever they are in the world as reassuring,
       and one patient expressed that: ‘This VC I should have had when I was




Copyright © 2017 by the paper's authors. Copying permitted for private and academic
purposes. In: H. Gilstad, S. Khodambashi, J. Bjerkan (eds.):
Proceedings of the 4th European Workshop on Practical Aspects of Health Informatics (PAHI
2017), Levanger, Norway, MAY-2017, published at http://ceur-ws.org
       on the sickest’.
            Preliminary conclusion: Because of the positive responses given
       by the patients and ONCs on use of VC in primary care, a new project
       which also includes ONCs in hospitals is now planned. In addition, a
       review on the field is also submitted for publication.




Copyright © 2017 by the paper's authors. Copying permitted for private and academic
purposes. In: H. Gilstad, S. Khodambashi, J. Bjerkan (eds.):
Proceedings of the 4th European Workshop on Practical Aspects of Health Informatics (PAHI
2017), Levanger, Norway, MAY-2017, published at http://ceur-ws.org