Remote Patient Monitoring: The Role of and Impact on the Older Spouse

Aims and objectives: This master thesis examines the topics of Welfare Technology and Family Caregiving. The Welfare Technology in focus is Remote Patient Monitoring. The aim of the study is to obtain better knowledge and understanding of the role of and the impact on the older spouse when their chronically ill partner receives Remote Patient Monitoring as a municipal service. Background: Welfare technology and family caregiving are given central roles by the Norwegian Government in the building of a sustainable care model for the future. Family caregivers are also defined as important stakeholders in welfare technology. Furthermore, in the implementation of Remote Patient Monitoring in the Norwegian health care context, positive outcomes for family caregivers are sought and mentioned in policy- and project documents. However, the impact of this welfare technology on family caregivers is rarely addressed in empirically informed research. Design: The study has a qualitative research design based on a conceptual, thematical framework developed as a part of this study. This framework is the foundation of the research questions, the data collection and the data analysis. Method: This study applies a two-tier methodological approach. First a systematic document analysis was conducted to identify aspects relevant to examine when investigating the role of and impact on Remote Patient Monitoring on older spouses. The range of identified aspects were categorised into four main themes, forming this study’s thematical framework consisting of the following categories: 1) Role, Responsibility and Competence, 2) Care Burden, 3) Impact on Relationship and 4) Quality of life related aspects. The framework subsequently provided the following research questions: 1) What are the roles and the responsibilities of the spouse in Remote Patient Monitoring and do they have the needed competence?, 2) How does remote patient monitoring impact the care burden of the spouse?, 3) What is the impact of Remote Patient Monitoring on the relationship between the spouses? and 4) How does remote patient monitoring impact quality of life related aspects for the spouse?. Secondly, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 informants. Five interviews were conducted with older spouses of recipients of Remote Patient Monitoring services. Two interviews were conducted with municipal health care personnel with first-hand experience with Remote Patient Monitoring. Results and conclusion: At