Background: eHealth solutions such as digital decision support systems (DDSSs) have the potential to assist collaborationbetween health care staff to improve matters for specific patient groups. Patients with hard-to-heal ulcers have long healing timesbecause of a lack of guidelines for structured diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Multidisciplinary collaboration in woundmanagement teams is essential. A DDSS could offer a way of aiding improvement within wound management. The introductionof eHealth solutions into health care is complicated, and the engagement of the staff seems crucial. Factors influencing andaffecting engagement need to be understood and considered for the introduction of a DDSS to succeed.

Objective: This study aims to describe health care staff’s experiences of engagement and barriers to and influencers of engagementwhen introducing a DDSS for wound management.

Methods: This study uses a qualitative approach. Interviews were conducted with 11 health care staff within primary (n=4),community (n=6), and specialist (n=1) care during the start-up of the introduction of a DDSS for wound management. Theinterviews focused on the staff’s experiences of engagement. Content analysis by Burnard was used in the data analysis process.

Results: A total of 4 categories emerged describing the participants’ experiences of engagement: a personal liaison, a professionalcommitment, an extended togetherness, and an awareness and understanding of the circumstances.

Conclusions: This study identifies barriers to and influencers of engagement, reinforcing that staff experience engagementthrough feeling a personal liaison and a professional commitment to make things better for their patients. In addition, engagementis nourished by sharing with coworkers and by active support and understanding from leadership.