Introduction: New solutions could be a challenge for both the persons in need of health care at home and the health care professions when the person's individual needs in health care at home have to be met. The mobile distances-spanning technology (MDST) could come into use to support the health care at home. Before implementing the MDST the voices of persons in need of health care at home need to be heard about the use of MDST. Methods and Materials: The aim was to describe views and experiences about the use of MDST in health care at home from the perspectives of persons in need of health care at home. The persons were living in ordinary homes and all had experiences of MDST when district nurses were caring for them at home. Persons in need of health care at home (n=9) participated in individual qualitative research interviews for data collection. Qualitative content analysis was used for data analysis. Results: Participants put health care at home in the first place and the MDST was put in the second place. The importance of human meetings was put forwards. The results indicate in different ways opportunities, possibilities and risks with using MDSTs. When the MDST was used, it was important to have established a relationship and trust to the district nurses and the general practitioners, and to know them and to be known by them. The participants expressed that the health care professionals need to see the person behind the technology. Conclusion: Human meetings can never be excluded in health care at home even when a virtual meeting for some issues is relevant. The MDST can never capture or replace the human meetings but human meetings and virtual meetings can be used as complement to each other.
Godkänd; 2010; 20101119 (ysko)