Understanding how mHealth tools can support care coordination between older adults and healthcare providers: a scoping study

Abstract

Background & Objectives: There is growing interest in the use of health information technologies to support care planning and communication between patients and care providers. This study aimed to: i) review the literature for mHealth tools supporting care coordination; and ii) use these data to inform a consultation process with older adults and primary care providers. Methods: This scoping study used the methodology of Arksey & O'Malley (2005), as supplemented by Levac and colleagues (2010). The consultation included three focus group interviews (n = 11 older adults; n = 6 caregivers) and five individual interviews (n = 4 providers; n = 1 caregiver). Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic content analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), supported by NVivo 11 software. Results: Scoping review findings included current mHealth challenges, existing features, and supports for tool implementation and use. The consultation process identified that appointment details, a paper version and training were priorities for older adults and tracking medications, symptoms and goals were important for providers. Conclusions: This study confirmed that older adults and providers have an interest in using mHealth tools. This study also highlighted the value of engaging older adults and providers in tool development. These data will inform the development of an mHealth tool to support care coordination.