Principles of a paediatric palliative care consultation can be achieved with home telemedicine

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Telemedicine
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Paediatric palliative care aims to improve quality of life for children with serious illnesses.
• Telemedicine offers a potential solution for delivering healthcare services remotely, including palliative care.
• Comparing telemedicine with traditional face-to-face consultations is crucial for assessing its efficacy in paediatric palliative care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the documented components of paediatric palliative care consultations delivered via telemedicine versus face-to-face visits.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of telemedicine in paediatric palliative care based on established consultation principles.

Main Methods:

• A convenience sample of 100 paediatric palliative care consultations was reviewed.
• Fifty consultations were conducted via telemedicine during home visits, and 50 were face-to-face.
• Consultations were assessed against 14 established principles and components of paediatric palliative care.

Main Results:

• Telemedicine consultations involved a higher proportion of patients in stable condition and fewer in the terminal phase.
• Discussions regarding pain, anorexia, and follow-up were more frequent in the telemedicine group.
• Resuscitation planning was more common in face-to-face consultations with deteriorating inpatient children.

Conclusions:

• Paediatric palliative care consultations via telemedicine are equally effective as face-to-face consultations.
• Telemedicine facilitates comprehensive documentation of essential palliative care components.
• Telemedicine is a viable and effective modality for delivering paediatric palliative care services.