Stakholderviews on facilitators and barriers in eHealth interventions for individuals with low SEP: A Delphi study

Low socioeconomic position (SEP) individuals are more likely to develop chronic illnesses and to have poorer health outcomes than the general population. One promising approach to reduce this incidence rate of chronical illnesses is through eHealth interventions. Even so, the uptake of eHealth amongst low SEP individuals is low, and there is a lack of understanding how to best connect eHealth interventions to low SEP individuals. This study therefore aimed to gain insights into the main barriers and facilitators in eHealth for low SEP individuals, by consulting stakeholders (i.e., health professionals and policy makers). In addition, the present study was interested in possible differences between health professionals and policy makers. To assess these research questions, an online Delphi study was conducted. The present study analyzed the ratings of 12 Dutch stakeholders regarding 86 statements on barriers and facilitators in different phases of eHealth (i.e., development, reach,...Show moreLow socioeconomic position (SEP) individuals are more likely to develop chronic illnesses and to have poorer health outcomes than the general population. One promising approach to reduce this incidence rate of chronical illnesses is through eHealth interventions. Even so, the uptake of eHealth amongst low SEP individuals is low, and there is a lack of understanding how to best connect eHealth interventions to low SEP individuals. This study therefore aimed to gain insights into the main barriers and facilitators in eHealth for low SEP individuals, by consulting stakeholders (i.e., health professionals and policy makers). In addition, the present study was interested in possible differences between health professionals and policy makers. To assess these research questions, an online Delphi study was conducted. The present study analyzed the ratings of 12 Dutch stakeholders regarding 86 statements on barriers and facilitators in different phases of eHealth (i.e., development, reach, evaluation and implementation). Moreover, a Mann Whitney U test was conducted to assess possible differences in the ratings between health professionals and policy makers. Results revealed that time and financial resources as well as the eHealth intervention content and the involvement of low SEP individuals are key factors in eHealth for low SEP individuals. Additional main factors included the involvement of the social environment of low SEP individuals and the involvement of professionals. Finally, it was found that the employment of continuous evaluation cycles throughout all phases forms a major factor in eHealth for low SEP individuals. Additionally, the results indicated that one statement regarding the importance of user privacy in the development phase received a significantly higher score from policy makers than health professionals. No additional significant differences in scores between health professionals and policy makers were found. This study provides an overview of key barriers in eHealth for low SEP individuals. Understanding these barriers and facilitators may generate insights on how to optimize eHealth interventions for people with a low SEP, and therefore help professionals to connect eHealth to low SEP individuals. Furthermore, the present study could be considered as a building block on which future studies can be conducted.Show less

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Stakholderviews on facilitators and barriers in eHealth interventions for individuals with low SEP: A Delphi study