The Amazing Impossibilities of Technology: Factors that Inhibit Participation in Skype™ Based Self-Help Groups

Background

The SIVC project was initiated by a resource group associated with the National Center of Patient Education (NCPE) in Norway. NCPE received a grant from the Norwegian Directorate of Health to carry out the work and the Patient Education Resource Center (of Central Norway) was given the project management (The final report “Selvhjelp på videokonferanse”, henceforth: SPV 2009). The project itself was carried out in cooperation between a number of partners; The National Center of Patient Education, The Norwegian Center for Integrated Care and Telemedicine, Volda University College, The National Union of Organizations for Disabled in Norway and The Norwegian Self-help Center (Selvhjelp Norge). It was managed through the Patient Education Resource Center of Helse Sunnmøre.

A number of patient organizations, hospitals, rehab centers and others cooperated to recruit persons for the groups. An Internet site provided the necessary information for both learning how the groups were supposed to work, how to sign up, how to use the technology and other information. For those who did make contact a package of information, data software, other necessary items, instructions and an agreement for signing was prepared (SPV, 2009). Despite the efforts made to contact people assumed to be interested, very few signed up and no groups were initiated.