Caregiver Comfort With Telehospice

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Informatics
• Palliative Care

Background:

• Home hospice care presents unique challenges for caregivers, particularly in symptom management and accessing timely professional support.
• The integration of technology in palliative care is an emerging area aimed at enhancing patient and caregiver experiences.
• Caregiver well-being is crucial for effective end-of-life care delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the comfort and emotional support caregivers of home hospice patients experienced using electronic tablets for telehospice.
• To determine if technology use increased caregiver confidence in managing patient symptoms.
• To explore caregiver perceptions of telehospice services.

Main Methods:

• A mixed methods study design was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative survey data.
• Data were collected from 667 caregivers of home hospice patients over a 2-year period.
• Surveys included items assessing comfort, emotional support, and willingness to use virtual healthcare.

Main Results:

• The majority of caregivers reported comfort using telehospice technology.
• Increased comfort with telehospice correlated with a higher likelihood of using virtual healthcare services in the future.
• Caregiver feedback revealed a range of positive, negative, and neutral themes regarding their experiences.
• Access to 24/7 professional support via technology provided significant comfort to caregivers.

Conclusions:

• The study supports the use of telehospice as a valuable tool for enhancing support for home hospice caregivers.
• Effective integration of technology requires adequate caregiver training and incorporation into standard care plans.
• Telehospice can alleviate stress for end-of-life caregivers by providing accessible professional assistance.