Examining patient safety protocols amidst the rise of digital health and telemedicine: nurses' perspectives.

Abstract

Background: Integrating digital health and telemedicine technologies is transforming healthcare delivery. In light of this transition, it is critical to ascertain the efficacy of patient safety protocols and evaluate the awareness of healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, regarding the integration of digital health technologies.

Aim: This study examines the factors influencing the successful adoption of digital health and telemedicine technologies from the nurses' perspective, focusing on ensuring patient safety and enhancing organizational readiness for digital health integration.

Methods: A cross-sectional study included 246 nurses from outpatient healthcare centers in Egypt. The data collected included demographic information and responses to a series of questionnaires, namely the Patient Safety Culture Survey (PSCS), the Telemedicine Risk Assessment and Mitigation Matrix (TRAMM), the Digital Health Adoption Readiness Assessment (DHARA), and the Digital Health Impact Assessment Tool (DHIA). The descriptive statistical analyses were conducted using the IBM SPSS Statistics software, version 26.

Results: The sample was predominantly composed of nurses aged 18-35 (40.65%) and 36-55 (44.72%), with a near-equal gender distribution (48.78% male, 51.22% female). Most nurses held college degrees (73.17%) and were familiar with telemedicine (73.17%). The PSCS indicated positive scores for Communication Openness (4.5), Leadership Support (4.2), Teamwork (4.3), and Organizational Learning (4.1), with an overall mean score of 4.275. The TRAMM scores were notably high (total mean score 4.9), indicating effective risk management. The DHARA demonstrated considerable preparedness, as evidenced by a Total Mean Score of 7.85. The DHIA further substantiated this readiness, indicating a robust anticipated impact, particularly in Patient Engagement (9.0) and Usability (8.2).

Conclusion: The favorable assessment scores indicate a strong awareness of integrating digital health and telemedicine, suggesting the potential for enhanced patient care and healthcare delivery. It is recommended that healthcare organizations prioritize providing ongoing training and support for nurses, enabling them to utilize digital health tools and thereby enhance patient safety effectively.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.