Comunicação remota em enfermagem mediada por TIC: competências digitais, desafios e necessidades formativas em Portugal

Abstract

INTRODUCTION
Digital transformation in healthcare has been changing communication models between nurses and patients, particularly through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), telehealth and remote contacts. These solutions can improve access, continuity of care and follow-up for patients with chronic diseases or mobility limitations, but they also raise challenges related to digital literacy, security, privacy, relational quality and the humanisation of care.

OBJECTIVES
To map the evidence on ICT-mediated nurse-patient communication and to understand, in the Portuguese context, which technologies are used, what difficulties are experienced by nurses and what training needs emerge from this practice.

METHODOLOGY
The study included two complementary stages. First, a scoping review was conducted, with searches in LILACS, PubMed, ScienceDirect and grey literature, resulting in the inclusion of 10 studies. Subsequently, an empirical convergent mixed-methods study was developed, using an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. A total of 194 nurses participated in the questionnaire and 24 interviews were conducted, followed by quantitative analysis and thematic analysis of the data.

RESULTS
The review showed that ICT can support follow-up, health education, caregiver support and continuity of care, provided that communication skills are adapted to the digital environment. However, technical, organisational, ethical and relational barriers were identified. In the empirical study, remote communication in nursing was found to remain limited and strongly based on conventional means, such as landline and mobile phones, with limited use of video calls and telehealth applications. The main difficulties were related to patients’ low digital literacy, limitations in understanding or hearing, technological problems, omission of information and difficulties in sharing therapeutic materials. Most participants recognised gaps in their academic training and expressed willingness to undertake training in digital communication.

CONCLUSIONS
ICT-mediated nurse-patient communication is a relevant complement to face-to-face care, but it remains underused. Its safe, ethical and humanised integration requires specific training, institutional protocols, technical support, data protection and communication adaptation strategies centred on the patient’s profile.