Homebound Patients’ Perspectives on Technology and Telemedicine: A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

Telemedicine holds promise in bridging the gap between homebound patients and high quality health care, but uptake of such technology remains limited. Qualitative interviews conducted with 17 homebound patients found two major barriers to telemedicine. First, participants who lack familiarity with technology are hesitant about telemedicine, as baseline use of technology in the home is limited, participants did not feel capable of learning, and the advantages of telemedicine were unclear. Second, homebound patients place a high value on in-office visits due to therapeutic benefit, face-to-face communication, and the social aspect of medical appointments.