Telepalliative Care on Quality of Life, Symptom Management, and Patient Satisfaction: A Systematic Review

Telepalliative care has emerged as an innovative approach to expanding access to palliative services through digital health technologies. Despite increasing adoption, evidence regarding its impact on patient and caregiver outcomes remains heterogeneous. This systematic review aimed to synthesize recent evidence on the impact of telepalliative care on quality of life, symptom management, and satisfaction among patients and caregivers receiving palliative care. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Literature searches were performed in PubMed, EBSCO, and ScienceDirect to identify studies published between 2021 and 2025. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials, pilot studies, and qualitative studies evaluating telepalliative care interventions. Data were synthesized narratively, and methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools. Twelve studies were included in the review. Telepalliative interventions comprised telephone-based care, mobile applications, messaging platforms, telehealth consultations, remote monitoring systems, and web-based programs. The evidence suggests that telepalliative care may support quality of life, symptom management, and satisfaction in some settings by enhancing communication, symptom monitoring, education, and care coordination. However, findings were heterogeneous across studies, and benefits were not consistently observed across all populations and outcome domains. Improvements in quality of life and symptom management were reported in several studies, whereas psychological outcomes and caregiver-related outcomes, including caregiver burden and self-efficacy, showed less consistent results. Digital literacy, technology access, caregiver support, and disease characteristics were identified as important factors influencing implementation and outcomes. Telepalliative care demonstrates promising potential to enhance palliative care delivery and improve access to services, particularly in resource-limited settings. Nevertheless, intervention benefits vary according to population characteristics, intervention modalities, and implementation contexts. Further high-quality research is needed to identify the most effective telepalliative strategies and optimize implementation across diverse care settings.