Other Titles

Rapid Presentation Round

Abstract

Purpose/Background: The In-Hospital Telehealth Questionnaire (IHTQ) was developed to address the lack of validated tools for assessing the usability of telehealth and virtual nursing within hospital settings. The IHTQ adapts the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ) and incorporates elements from other relevant questionnaires to comprehensively evaluate usability factors like usefulness, ease of use, effectiveness, reliability, and satisfaction. This study is part of a larger research project exploring the integration of virtual nurses and robotics in healthcare.

Methods: The IHTQ was developed following a rigorous scale development process. Items were generated based on a literature review and expert opinions, focusing on key usability factors. Content validity was assessed by experts, and pilot testing was conducted to refine the questionnaire. Data was collected from a diverse sample of participants and analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability tests. The scale was further refined based on the analysis, and its psychometric properties were validated.

Results: The final IHTQ consists of 14 items across five subscales: Usefulness, Ease of Use and Learnability, Interface Quality, Interaction Quality, and Reliability and Satisfaction. Initial analysis shows exceptional internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.9693. The IHTQ offers a reliable and valid tool to evaluate the usability of in-hospital telehealth and virtual nursing, providing valuable insights for healthcare providers and researchers.

Limitations: The study acknowledges limitations, including the need for further validation in larger and more diverse samples. Future research should also explore the relationship between IHTQ scores and other relevant outcomes, such as patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and cost-effectiveness.

Conclusion: The IHTQ represents a valuable contribution to the field of telehealth and virtual nursing research. By providing a reliable and validated instrument, the IHTQ enables healthcare providers and researchers to assess the usability of these technologies within hospital settings and make informed decisions to improve their implementation and effectiveness.

Notes

References:

Lee, S. H., & Bashshur, R. L. (2023). Telemedicine's impact on healthcare delivery: A systematic review of systematic reviews. Telemedicine and e-Health, 29(3), 232-243.

Langbecker, D., Caffery, L. J., Gillespie, N., & Smith, A. C. (2017). Using survey methods in telehealth research: A practical guide. Journal of telemedicine and telecare, 23(9), 770-779.

Monaghesh, E., & Hajizadeh, A. (2022). The impact of telemedicine on healthcare quality: A systematic review. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1), 1-16.

Parmanto B, Lewis AN Jr, Graham KM, Bertolet MH. Development of the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ). Int J Telerehabil. 2016 Jul 1;8(1):3-10. doi: 10.5195/ijt.2016.6196. PMID: 27563386; PMCID: PMC4985278.

Ekeland, A.G., Bowes, A., & Flottorp, S. (2010). Effectiveness of telemedicine: A systematic review of reviews. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 79, 736-771.

Description

This session focuses on the development and validation of the In-Hospital Telehealth Questionnaire (IHTQ), a new tool to assess the usability of telehealth and virtual nursing in hospitals. The IHTQ covers key aspects of usability and has demonstrated excellent internal consistency. It offers a valuable resource for evaluating and improving the implementation of these technologies in healthcare settings.

Author Details

Emily Calabro, PhD, RN, CCRN, CHPN; Rodica Pop, PhD, RN

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

Presentation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Other

Research Approach

Other

Keywords:

Instrument and Tool Development, Sustainable Development Goals, Workforce

Conference Name

Creating Healthy Work Environments

Conference Host

Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Conference Year

2025

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

Review Type

Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Slides

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A New Tool for Evaluating Virtual Nursing in Hospitals: The In-Hospital Telehealth Questionnaire

Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Purpose/Background: The In-Hospital Telehealth Questionnaire (IHTQ) was developed to address the lack of validated tools for assessing the usability of telehealth and virtual nursing within hospital settings. The IHTQ adapts the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ) and incorporates elements from other relevant questionnaires to comprehensively evaluate usability factors like usefulness, ease of use, effectiveness, reliability, and satisfaction. This study is part of a larger research project exploring the integration of virtual nurses and robotics in healthcare.

Methods: The IHTQ was developed following a rigorous scale development process. Items were generated based on a literature review and expert opinions, focusing on key usability factors. Content validity was assessed by experts, and pilot testing was conducted to refine the questionnaire. Data was collected from a diverse sample of participants and analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability tests. The scale was further refined based on the analysis, and its psychometric properties were validated.

Results: The final IHTQ consists of 14 items across five subscales: Usefulness, Ease of Use and Learnability, Interface Quality, Interaction Quality, and Reliability and Satisfaction. Initial analysis shows exceptional internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.9693. The IHTQ offers a reliable and valid tool to evaluate the usability of in-hospital telehealth and virtual nursing, providing valuable insights for healthcare providers and researchers.

Limitations: The study acknowledges limitations, including the need for further validation in larger and more diverse samples. Future research should also explore the relationship between IHTQ scores and other relevant outcomes, such as patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and cost-effectiveness.

Conclusion: The IHTQ represents a valuable contribution to the field of telehealth and virtual nursing research. By providing a reliable and validated instrument, the IHTQ enables healthcare providers and researchers to assess the usability of these technologies within hospital settings and make informed decisions to improve their implementation and effectiveness.