A Digital Rehabilitation plan: Evaluating a Tool Designed for facilitating Shared Decision-Making

Background Through a partnership and collaborative design process between technologists and healthcare professionals, a web platform including a digital rehabilitation plan was developed. This design process addresses recognized challenges in rehabilitation information and communication technology, e.g., fragmented data flows and low-quality user interfaces. The digital rehabilitation plan facilitated shared decision-making, allowing the patient to personalize their plan while providing healthcare professionals with access to support the patient's journey. This study evaluated end-user healthcare professionals’ and patients’ experiences with the plan’s usability and potential areas for improvement. Methods Semistructured focus-group interviews were conducted with three different groups: i) patients, ii) healthcare professionals, and iii) patients and healthcare professionals. The discussions delved into the preadmission phase, the inpatient period, rehabilitation plans, inpatient stays, evaluations, and outpatient follow-ups. The recorded files were transcribed and thematically analyzed to identify patterns, paradoxes, and dilemmas. Results Patients and healthcare professionals appreciated the digital rehabilitation plan. However, patients requested a wider range of digital support tools for inpatient rehabilitation and follow-up, e.g., a "my page" with access to relevant information, chat support, educational tools, and videos. In peer groups, professionals are reluctant to expand the use of the web platform due to past negative experiences with information and communication technology, and hence have less motivation to change work processes. Discussions in the third focus group shifted the professionals’ perspective, revealing the potential for improved collaboration and patient-provider communication. Conclusions This study demonstrated that involving patients in the design and implementation of a web platform can uncover bias, identify barriers, create new ideas, enhance usability, and increase the use of digital communication in rehabilitation. Healthcare professionals face barriers to using the web platform because of established procedures and previous experiences, whereas patients’ drivers are facilitated by their everyday technology use. Patients’ eagerness to use digital communication tools surprised the professionals. Bringing patients and professionals together changed professionals' views and revealed barriers and drivers for further development of a web platform for rehabilitation. Trial registration This study was approved by the Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research, Data Protection Services for Research, reference number 116434.