Advantages and Challenges of Using Telehealth for Home-Based Palliative Care: Systematic Mixed Studies Review

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Health Informatics
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Increasing palliative care needs and healthcare professional shortages challenge quality care delivery.
• Telehealth presents a potential solution to enable patients to receive care at home.
• Limited synthesis exists on patient experiences with telehealth in home-based palliative care.

Approach:

• Systematic mixed studies review adhering to PRISMA guidelines.
• Comprehensive search across 8 major databases (Jan 2010 - June 2022).
• Thematic synthesis of data from 40 studies involving adult patients receiving home-based palliative care via telehealth.

Key Points:

• Telehealth can foster a home-based support system and enhance patient self-governance.
• Visual aspects of telehealth facilitate interpersonal relationships and shared understanding of care needs.
• Optimized information flow through telehealth aids in tailoring remote care practices.
• Technology barriers, inflexible reporting, and privacy concerns present challenges.

Conclusions:

• Telehealth offers advantages in enabling home-based palliative care and tailoring services.
• Challenges include technology usability, symptom reporting limitations, and privacy perceptions.
• User involvement in telehealth design is crucial for optimizing its benefits and mitigating drawbacks.