User Profiles of Healthcare Professionals in a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Care Pathway

Telehealth is a digital service expected to address healthcare demands by supporting self-management and improving access to healthcare facilities for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, results for telehealth efficacy are conflicting partially because of barriers to adoption by end-users. Developing an understanding of users' needs helps to reduce barriers of adoption by allowing service designers to create meaningful experiences. We conduct interviews as part of a case study in a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease care pathway in Greece. Following a user-centered design approach, we describe the goals, tasks, and needs of healthcare professionals as four user profiles. The implications of our findings bring to light a deeper understanding of the attitudes and perceptions of healthcare professionals towards telehealth, as well as a core set of user needs for telehealth service designers.