Telemedicine offers a closer nurse-patient connection
The human-to-human connection in the telemedicine (TM) care was fundamental, whereby the dialogue was necessary to increase the COPD patients’ experience of belonging and for the TM nurses to advance their clinical and personal knowledge, with a view to strengthening the nurse-patient relationship.
Tina Lien Barken
PhD candidate and Assistant Professor
Tina Lien Barken at the Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences has submitted her thesis entitled “The humanistic perspective of telemedicine care. COPD patients’ and nurses’ experiences of receiving/providing telemedicine care” and will defend the thesis for the PhD-degree Thursday 19 August 2019.
She has followed the PhD programme in Health and Sport Sciences. The Study are funded by UiA through the Ugland-foundation.
Summary of the thesis by Tina Lien Barken:
The humanistic perspective of telemedicine care
The overall aim of this thesis was to explore and contribute to new knowledge and increase our understanding of the experiences of the patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and nurses receiving/providing care through telemedicine (TM). Papers I and II were carried out according to the framework of a TM intervention, while paper III was a systematic qualitative review.
Closer nurse-patient connection
The findings show that patients with COPD experienced a sense of belonging when receiving care through TM, which was grounded in two fundamental conditions: presence and transparency, providing emotional, social and clinical support.
The experience of the TM nurses showed that the fundamental development of ‘knowing the patient’, gained through reasoning and decision-making processes, directly impacted the care and guidance of the patients.
Hence, the experiences of the patients with COPD and the TM nurses in the receiving/providing care process of TM were based on the relational connection made possible by the TM technology. The TM technology provided a close nurse-patient connection. The human-to-human connection in the TM care was fundamental, whereby the dialogue was necessary to increase the COPD patients’ experience of belonging and for the TM nurses to advance their clinical and personal knowledge, with a view to strengthening the nurse-patient relationship.
Patients with severe COPD benefits more
However, the patients with severe and/or unstable/progressive COPD were found to benefit most from the TM care. This is an important contribution to the existing, albeit contradictory, evidence base, as it contributes to a renewed understanding of who would benefit from TM and why.
Disputation facts:
The Candidate: Tina Lien Barken (1985 - born Harstad, brought up Kristiansand). Biology (one year programme), UiA, (2004 - 2005), Bachelor degree in Nursing, UiA, (2005-2008), Masters degree in Health Science, UiA, (2011 - 2014), Research fellow at the Department of Health and Nursing Science, UiA, (2014 – 2017), Assistant Professor at the Department of Health and Nursing Science at the University of Agder Universitetet i Agder (2018 - ). Worked as a nurse at Sørlandet hospital HF (2008 – 2011), nurse at Valhalla health centre (2014).
The trial lecture and the public defence will take place at Auditorium B2 003, Campus Kristiansand, Thursday 19 September 2019
Head of the Department of Health and Nursing Science, Professor Mariann Fossum, will chair the disputation.
Trial lecture at 10:15 a.m.
Public defense at 12:30 p.m.
Given topic for trial lecture: "Strenght and limitations in virtual and personal meetings i the Health Service («Styrker og begrensinger i det virtuelle og det personlige møtet i helsetjenesten»)
Thesis Title: “The humanistic perspective of telemedicine care. COPD patients’ and nurses’ experiences of receiving/providing telemedicine care”
Search for the thesis in AURA - Agder University Research Archive, a digital archive of scientific papers, theses and dissertations from the academic staff and students at the University of Agder. The thesis will also be available at the University Library, and some copies will also be available for loan at the auditorium where the disputation takes place.
Opponents:
First opponent: Professor Ragnhild Hellesø, University of Oslo
Second opponent: Professor Ove Hellzen, Mid Sweden University
Professor Inger Beate Larsen, University of Agder, is appointed as the administrator for the assessment commitee.
Supervisors were Professor Ulrika Söderhamn, University of Agder (retired spring 2019) (main supervisor) and Associate Professor Elin Thygesen, University of Agder, (co-supervisor)