Utility, barriers and facilitators to the use of connected health to support families impacted by paediatric cancer: a qualitative analysis

AIM: As healthcare systems are increasingly burdened, the efficiencies and cost savings offered by connected health (CH, i.e. two-way communicative healthcare technologies such as eHealth or mHealth) present an attractive solution for supporting families impacted by cancer. More research is required, however, to examine attitudes towards CH to better facilitate its use in practice. This study seeks to examine the utility, barriers and facilitators of CH use for families affected by paediatric cancer living in Ireland. METHODS: Healthcare professionals (n = 5) and parents of children with cancer (n = 7) completed semi-structured interviews on their experiences of and attitudes to CH via Microsoft Teams. A reflexive thematic approach to analysis was employed. RESULTS: CH was perceived to provide support for a number of current needs with themes of ‘shifting responsibilities’, ‘individualisation of care’ and ‘knowledge as power’. Through facilitating communication, information sharing and monitoring of child health, CH was perceived to support decreased parental burden and increased parental control, with positive child outcomes thought likely. Perceived barriers and facilitators to the use of CH included the ‘importance of trust’, ‘pace of change’ and ‘access’. CONCLUSION: While results suggest an acceptance of CH across key stakeholders, barriers and facilitators should be considered to support effective implementation. While further analysis of the efficacy of CH to support families impacted by paediatric cancer is needed, these findings highlight key areas where CH may be effectively employed. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00520-022-07077-4.