Introduction
This study was a part of a larger project within the context of primary health care. The overall aim was to test information and communication technology (ICT) as a tool for the District Nurse (DN) to increased accessibility to care for people with serious chronic illness living at home. Chronic illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and cardiovascular disease are common in the western world. Chronic illness entails ongoing disruptions and changes in life (1, 2) and may change the very foundation of life as the illness brings with it new and different conditions (1). People with serious chronic illness spend most of their time in their home and often need help and support from the DN. In Sweden, DNs are usually responsible for providing nursing care at home, and can be compared with community nurses or home care nurses in other countries. During the last few years, the number of people cared for, in their homes has increased as a result of a shift in care provision from hospitals to primary and community care. According to The National Board of Health and Welfare (3) approximately 250 000 persons in Sweden have some form of home nursing care today. Eighty-seven per cent is over 65 years old and the majority is women. This has influenced the work of DNs and has led to the situation where an important part of their work is to support people with chronic illnesses who live at home (4, 5).