Status of Telenursing and Future Use Intentions in Home Health Care in the Post-COVID-19 Era

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the current status and workload of telenursing by home healthcare nurses in the post-COVID-19 era, where telenursing has become indispensable, and identify factors that influence the intention to use telenursing. This study employed a cross-sectional descriptive approach based on an online survey. A total of 137 active home care nurses were surveyed for over 6 weeks starting in December 2022. Among the participants, 33.8% (N = 44) responded that they were currently using telenursing services. Most telenursing was conducted for consultation and education, using various technologies. The intention to use telenursing was significantly higher among individuals with higher educational levels and telenursing experience. The greater the social influence, which indicates the extent to which people around them believe that telenursing should be used, and more positive the attitudes toward telenursing, the higher the intention to use it. A clear definition of telenursing is required to improve people’s understanding of telenursing before its official implementation in Korea. Telenursing may be used to provide health care education and consultation while maintaining the continuity of care not only for patients receiving home health care but also for community-dwelling patients. To recognize and evaluate current telenursing practices, telenursing content should be recorded accurately. Finally, attitudes toward telenursing and social influence must be considered when developing strategies to improve nurses’ intentions to use and activate telenursing in the near future.