Online communication in a rehabilitation setting: Experiences of patients with chronic conditions using a web portal in Denmark.

Abstract

To gain insight into the experiences of patients with long-term conditions enrolled in an online rehabilitation programme using a web portal. Danish outpatients were recruited from a rehabilitation department and were granted access to a web portal which included an online rehabilitation programme with key information, clinical advice, and self-management activities. After two weeks, patients were invited to participate in focus groups. A topic guide was used to explore this new online rehabilitation programme in relation to participants' experiences. Fourteen participants, ranging from 42 to 72 years old, were allocated into three focus groups. Participants mainly reported negative experiences by the following four themes: 'patients' experiences', 'technical aspects', 'areas for improvement', and 'digitalization added value'. Participants mainly reported negative experiences and suggested combining both face-to-face consultations with online care by user-friendly web portals. This will ensure a positive contribution from digital communication tools to rehabilitation. Patients' experiences should be considered in the design of web portals in rehabilitation which could help healthcare organizations when developing online rehabilitation programmes.