Background/Objectives: Home care plays a crucial role in contemporary healthcare systems, particularly in the long-term care of people with chronic and progressive illnesses. Family caregivers often experience substantial physical, emotional, and organizational burden. Telemedicine and digital health applications have the potential to support home care by improving health monitoring, communication, and care coordination. However, their use among family caregivers remains inconsistent, and little is known about how organizational support structures such as telemedicine centers influence acceptance and everyday use. This study aims to examine the benefits of telemedicine in home care and to evaluate the role of telemedicine centers as supportive infrastructures for family caregivers. Methods: A mixed-methods design was applied. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey of 58 family caregivers to assess the use of telemedicine and digital health applications, perceived benefits, barriers, and support needs. This was complemented by an in-depth qualitative case study exploring everyday caregiving experiences with telemedicine technologies and telemedicine center support. A systematic literature review informed the theoretical framework and the development of the empirical instruments. Results: Most respondents reported not using telemedicine or digital health applications in home care. Among users, telemedicine was associated with perceived improvements in quality of care, particularly through enhanced health monitoring, improved communication with healthcare professionals, and increased feelings of safety and control. Key barriers to adoption included technical complexity, data protection concerns, and limited digital literacy. Both quantitative findings and the qualitative case study highlighted the importance of structured support. Telemedicine centers were perceived as highly beneficial, providing technical assistance, training, coordination, and ongoing guidance that facilitated technology acceptance and sustained use. Conclusions: Telemedicine and digital health applications can meaningfully support home care and reduce caregiver burden when they are embedded in supportive socio-technical structures. Telemedicine centers can function as central points of contact that enhance usability, trust, and continuity of care. The findings suggest that successful implementation of telemedicine in home care requires not only technological solutions but also accessible organizational support and targeted training for family caregivers.

Background/Objectives: The digitization of care opens up new opportunities to support family caregivers, who play a key role in home care. While telemedicine applications have already shown initial relief effects, AI-supported chatbots are increasingly coming into focus as an innovative form of digital support. The aim of this study was to build on an earlier study on the integration of telemedicine into home care and to conduct a complementary study on AI-based chatbots to analyze their acceptance, perceived benefits, and potential barriers from the perspective of family caregivers. Methods: The study comprises two consecutive online surveys with a total of n = 62 family caregivers. The first study assessed the use and acceptance of telemedicine systems; the second complementary survey examined attitudes toward AI-supported chatbots. Both questionnaires were developed based on a systematic literature review and in accordance with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The dimensions of user-friendliness, data protection, communication support, emotional relief, and training needs were among those recorded. The data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, including comparative analyses between the two studies. Results: The results show that family caregivers generally have a positive attitude toward digital health solutions, but at the same time identify specific barriers. While technical barriers and privacy concerns dominated the telemedicine study, the AI results place greater emphasis on psychosocial factors. It also became clear that participants assumed that chatbots would be more acceptable if they were designed to be empathetic and dialogue-oriented. A comparison of the two data sets shows that the perceived benefits of digital systems are shifting from functional support to interactive, emotional support. Conclusions: The results suggest that AI-powered chatbots could offer significant added value to family caregivers by combining information sharing, emotional support, and self-reflection. In doing so, they expand the focus of traditional telemedicine to include a communicative and psychosocial dimension. Future research should examine the actual user experience and effectiveness of such systems in longitudinal and qualitative designs. Despite limitations in terms of sample representativeness and hypothetical usage estimates, the study makes an important contribution to the further development of digital care concepts and the ethically responsible integration of AI into home care.

Background/Objectives: In view of demographic change and the increase in chronic illnesses, home care poses a considerable challenge. Telemedical technologies offer considerable potential for improving the quality of care and relieving the burden on family caregivers. With this study, we aim to develop appropriate training strategies for the use of telemedical applications in home care, focusing on the specific requirements of patients with dementia, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke. Methods: A comprehensive survey was conducted among 31 family caregivers to record their experience with digital technologies and to analyze caregiver acceptance of these technologies and barriers to their use. The survey comprised 29 questions, including a mix of multiple-choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was high (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.8876). Results: The results show that although 32% of respondents already use digital technologies, there is a significant need for training and support. Key barriers identified include a lack of technical skills (cited by 45% of respondents), limited access to suitable devices (38%), and privacy concerns (35%). In addition, 90% of respondents expressed a willingness to participate in training programs. Conclusions: Based on the survey results, evidence-based recommendations are provided for the design of training programs tailored to the individual needs of family caregivers. Through a targeted combination of e-learning modules, webinars, and practical exercises, family caregivers can be empowered to take full advantage of telemedical technologies and thus significantly improve the quality of care at home. The results underscore the importance of overcoming technical barriers and providing comprehensive training to ensure the effective use of telemedicine in home care.