Abstract
BackgroundGiven the increasing number of people in need of palliative care services and the current health care professional workforce strain, providing equitable, quality palliative care has become a challenge. Telehealth could be an innovative approach to palliative care delivery, enabling patients to spend more time or even remain at home, if they wish, throughout the illness trajectory. However, no previous systematic mixed studies reviews have synthesized evidence on patients’ experiences of the advantages and challenges of telehealth for home-based palliative care.ObjectiveThe aim of this systematic mixed studies review is to critically appraise and synthesize findings from studies that investigated patients’ use of telehealth in home-based palliative care with a focus on the advantages and challenges experienced by the patients.MethodsThis article describes the protocol for a systematic mixed studies review with a convergent design. The reporting will be guided by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement. A systematic search was performed in eight databases for studies published from January 2010 to June 2020. The search will be updated in 2021. Pairs of authors will independently assess eligibility, extract data, and assess methodological quality. The data will then be analyzed using thematic synthesis.ResultsWe describe the rationale and design of a systematic mixed studies review. The database searches were performed on June 25, 2020. Assessment of eligibility and further steps have not yet been performed. Results are anticipated by August 2021.ConclusionsFollowing the ethos of patient-centered palliative care, this systematic mixed studies review could lead to recommendations for practice and policy, enabling the development and implementation of telehealth applications and services that align with patients’ preferences and needs at home.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/22626
Highlights
BackgroundPalliative care is an approach that aims to improve the quality of life of patients and their families facing problems associated with life-threatening illness, regardless of diagnosis [1]
Following the ethos of patient-centered palliative care, this systematic mixed studies review could lead to recommendations for practice and policy, enabling the development and implementation of telehealth applications and services that align with patients’ preferences and needs at home
The results suggested that video consultation is feasible in palliative care when used for communication between patients, relatives, or health care professionals, and for clinical assessments and symptom management
Summary
BackgroundPalliative care is an approach that aims to improve the quality of life of patients and their families facing problems associated with life-threatening illness, regardless of diagnosis [1]. Telehealth could be an innovative approach to palliative care delivery, enabling patients to spend more time or even remain at home, if they wish, throughout the illness trajectory. No previous systematic mixed studies reviews have synthesized evidence on patients’ experiences of the advantages and challenges of telehealth for home-based palliative care. Objective: The aim of this systematic mixed studies review is to critically appraise and synthesize findings from studies that investigated patients’ use of telehealth in home-based palliative care with a focus on the advantages and challenges experienced by the patients. Conclusions: Following the ethos of patient-centered palliative care, this systematic mixed studies review could lead to recommendations for practice and policy, enabling the development and implementation of telehealth applications and services that align with patients’ preferences and needs at home.
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