A Framework For Person-centred Telehealth Research
Abstract
This paper describes a framework for the integration of person-centeredness with telehealth research methodologies. The evidence base for telehealth is improving but research with human subjects continues to be necessary for confidence in the telehealth-related technologies and applications available now and in the future. To identify aspects of person-centred research, an exploratory review of telehealth research was followed by two phases of systematic qualitative analysis.All of the telehealth research reports considered had, as participants, people with diabetes (adolescents and adults). This diagnostic group was chosen to narrow the scope of the analysis to a manageable size. Diabetes is a worldwide disease and predicted to increase in morbidity and mortality in the next decades.A framework for the assessment of person-centred research was devised, based on three ethical concepts: respect, benefit and justice in the sense of fairness. The concepts are described with their related actions. With the application of these concepts and actions during the conceptualisation, design, sample accrual, interventions and data collection segments of telehealth research, the participants who are necessary to advancing telehealth research may have a better experience with the research process. Rather than researchers making assumptions about what people need, the participants themselves can contribute to the research design and data interventions. The study data resulting from the addition of person-centred applications may be more reliable (consistent) and valid (accurate), with participants having a sense of making an important contribution. Participants may also be more willing to continue to serve in future research.
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Copyright (c) 2016 Claudia C Bartz
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