Needed competence for registered nurses working at a patient-centred telehealth service aimed to engage and empower people living with COPD: A five-month participatory observational study

Background: The global population of older aged 65 and over is increasing, which means an increase in people living with long-term health conditions and multimorbidity. Implementing new digital health technologies enables increased patient empowerment and responsibility, and the ability to respond to changes in their condition themselves, with less involvement of healthcare professionals. Important parameters need to be addressed for this digitally enabled empowerment to be successful, these include increased individual and organizational health literacy, the establishment of joint decision-making activities among patients and healthcare professionals, and efforts that target the individual's ability to manage their condition, which include education to increase skills and providing technology for self-monitoring. Objective: To identify needed competencies of digital healthcare professionals to be able to provide the needed services to service users with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a 24/7 digital healthcare service. Method: Five registered nurses' work was observed weekly for five months. In total 13 participatory observations were conducted. Data from the observations was transcribed and analysed through inductive content analysis. Results: Five main categories were identified in the analysis; 1) tasks, 2) communication, 3) the relationships between the registered nurses, 4) service users, and 5) technology. These categories contain different competencies needed for registered nurses working in a digitalized healthcare system. Conclusions: Future digital healthcare professionals will require several competencies, to be able to deliver proper care in a digital health community that goes beyond traditional healthcare competencies, including social, technological, and communication skills.