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Table 7 Perceived advantages and drawbacks of having internet access in patient care rooms

From: Keep in touch (KIT): perspectives on introducing internet-based communication and information technologies in palliative care

Patients and Family

Advantages:

 • Not having to leave the patient’s room to use the computer. One patient said “The challenge is that I don’t always feel up to writing on the computer and when I do feel up to it, it’s more difficult to leave my room…have to put on my dressing gown and shoes…”

 • Feeling more connected to the world with easy access to family and friends without leaving the room

 • Reduced boredom

 • Able to communicate right away before losing concentration

 • Easier to deal with phone calls and email before going home

 • Staying by the patient’s bedside while keeping the rest of family and friends updated

 • Convenience

 • “I could show my Mom (patient) things on the internet”

Drawbacks:

 • Inappropriate use of the internet by family members or unsupervised children

 • Noise for the patient

 • Tying up staff time with questions about the computer

 • Family members focusing on the computer rather than on the patient

Health Care Providers

Advantages:

 • Improved psychosocial wellness, less boredom, decreased feelings of isolation, decreased separation anxiety especially for parents with children

 • Feelings of support from family and friends

 • Distraction from illness

 • Boosting spirit, feeling better emotionally

 • Finding groups who have the same illness

 • “See places you have always wanted to see”

Drawbacks:

 • Patients accessing incorrect or misleading information related to their health

 • Noise for the patient

 • Family members paying more attention to the computer than to the patient or fewer in-person visits

 • Demands on staff time for trouble-shooting related to the technology

 • Equipment damage or loss

 • Accessing inappropriate websites

 • Additional “clutter” in the room