Experiences With Developing and Using Vital Sign Telemonitoring to Support Mobile Nursing in Rural Regions: Feasibility and Usability Study.

Very small feasibility sample: 8 nurses and 7 patients, with 1 patient dropout and only 6 patient survey responses, so findings are not generalisable. Patients were selected because nurses thought they could self-measure and use a tablet, and they were already familiar with vital sign measurements; the study therefore did not test people who might need telemonitoring most. No health outcomes, clinical effectiveness, cost, or workload reduction were measured; medical decision-making was intentionally excluded. Nurses did not see convincing everyday benefit, and their use of patient details dropped sharply, so the pilot may show low practical relevance rather than a failed technology. Technical and process limitations were substantial: one tablet had poor reception, Bluetooth range caused separation problems, the tablet and fitness tracker had usability issues, body composition sometimes failed, telephone and video functions were not properly evaluated, and no certified alert pathway or standardized vital sign process existed. Survey analysis was descriptive only, with small numbers and no statistical relationship between questions, and interviews were summarized by notes rather than full transcript methods.

The work was part of a European Union-funded Alpine Space project. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that vital sign telemonitoring improves home care, patient safety, or nurse workload. This was a small feasibility and usability pilot with no health outcome evaluation, and nurses and patients did not see convincing everyday benefit or want to continue.