HEALTH PROFESSIONALS’ USER EXPERIENCE OF THE INTELLIGENT BED IN PATIENTS’ HOMES

Background: The intelligent bed is a medical bed with several home healthcare functions. It includes, among others, an “out of bed” detector, a moisture detector, and a catheter bag detector. The design purpose of the intelligent bed is to assist patients in their daily living, facilitate the work of clinical staff, and improves the quality of care. The aim of this sub-study of the iCare project was to explore how health professionals (HPs) experience and use the intelligent bed in patients’ homes. Methods: The overall research design is inspired by case study methodology. A triangulation of data collection techniques has been used: log book, documentation study, participant observations (n = 45 hr), and qualitative interviews (n = 23). The data have been analyzed by means of Nvivo 9.0. Findings: We identified several themes: HP transformation from passive technology recipient to innovator; individualized care; work flow redesign; and sensor technology intruding on patient privacy. Conclusions: It is suggested that functions of the intelligent bed can result in more individualized care, workflow redesign, and time savings for the health professionals in caring for elderly patients. However, the technology intruded on patients’ privacy.