Interactive collaborative consultation model in end-of-life care

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Medical Informatics
• Telemedicine

Background:

• End-of-life care faces challenges in reaching underserved and remote populations globally.
• Interactive communication offers a potential solution to enhance palliative care delivery.
• The internet provides an accessible platform for disseminating research-based information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of an interactive collaborative consultation model for palliative care.
• To demonstrate the model's feasibility between a rural nurse practitioner and an urban physician.
• To explore how internet-based consultations can improve access to palliative care.

Main Methods:

• Development of an interactive collaborative consultation model.
• Demonstration of the model via internet-based communication.
• Facilitation of expert consultation for individual patient cases.

Main Results:

• The model enables collaborative consultations between geographically separated healthcare providers.
• Internet-based communication supports timely access to research-based information.
• The approach empowers practitioners in clinical decision-making for advanced disease patients.

Conclusions:

• Interactive internet consultations can significantly enhance palliative care delivery.
• This model improves access to specialized end-of-life care for underserved and remote areas.
• Collaborative consultations ultimately enhance the care of dying persons worldwide.