Nurses’ willingness to resort to telemonitoring in users with chronic conditions: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: To verify Primary Care nurses’ willingness to resort to Telemonitoring in the follow-up of users with arterial hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus. Method: A cross-sectional study conducted with nurses working in the municipalities from the 15th Health Region of Paraná. Of all the 289 individuals invited, 65 answered the online questionnaire made available in May and June 2021 via Google Forms. The nurses included were those working in the health units from the 15th Health Region and who answered the questionnaire sent. No exclusion criteria were adopted, even when a nurse left some questions unanswered. Chi-square, Fisher’s Exact and Prevalence Ratio tests were used in the analysis. Results: An association was observed between less time since graduation and the perception that Telemonitoring without in-person assistance is insufficient to follow up the users; in addition, it was noticed that the Telemonitoring variables favor communication with the patients and can streamline the work performed by the team. More willingness to use Telemonitoring was perceived among those who underwent training. Conclusion: The absence of training sessions and the insufficiency of devices and human resources affect and may preclude Telemonitoring.