Adding value to remote monitoring: Co-design of a health literacy intervention for older people with chronic disease delivered by telehealth - The telehealth literacy project

Abstract

Objective: To co-design, test and evaluate a health literacy, chronic disease self-management and social support intervention for older people delivered by group videoconferencing into the home.

Method: The Telehealth Literacy Project (THLP) was a mixed methods, quasi-experimental, non-randomised trial nested within a telehealth remote monitoring study. An intervention group (n = 52) participated in five, weekly videoconference group meetings lasting for 1.5 h and a control group (n = 60) received remote monitoring only. Outcomes were measured using the nine-scale Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) and two scales of the Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ). Semi-structured interviews and focus group data were thematically analysed.

Result: At 3 month follow-up, univariate analysis identified small effects in the intervention group only, with improved health literacy behaviours (five HLQ scales) and self-management skills (two heiQ scales). ANOVA of HLQ scales indicated no significant differences between the two groups over time indicating a contributing effect of the remote monitoring project. Intervention participants reported improved perception of companionship, emotional and informational support.

Conclusion: The THLP delivered with telemonitoring indicates potential to improve social support and some health literacy factors in older people.

Practice implications: Patient education can be delivered by group videoconferencing.

Keywords: Chronic disease self-management; Health education; Health literacy; Monitoring; Older people; Remote patient; Telehealth; Videoconferencing.