Abstract
BackgroundTelehealth is increasingly being used in home care and could be one measure to support the needs of home-based patients receiving palliative care. However, no previous scoping review has mapped existing studies on the use of telehealth for patients in palliative home care.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to map and assess published studies on the use of telehealth for patients in palliative home care.MethodsA scoping review was conducted using the methodological framework of Arksey and O’Malley. Reporting was guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. A systematic and comprehensive search of Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health was performed for studies published between January 2000 and October 2018. Two authors independently assessed eligibility and extracted data.ResultsThe review included 22 papers from 19 studies. Four thematic groupings were identified among the included papers: easy and effortless use of telehealth regardless of the current health condition, visual features that enhance communication and care via telehealth, symptom management and self-management promotion by telehealth, and perceptions of improved palliative care at home.ConclusionsThe use of telehealth in palliative home care seems to be feasible, improving access to health care professionals at home and enhancing feelings of security and safety. The visual features of telehealth seem to allow a genuine relationship with health care professionals. However, there are contradicting results on whether the use of telehealth improves burdensome symptoms and quality of life. Future research should investigate the experiences of using telehealth among patients with life-limiting illness other than cancer and patients aged 85 years or older. More research is needed to increase the body of knowledge regarding the effectiveness of telehealth on symptoms and quality of life.
Highlights
The preferred place of care for most patients in need of palliative care is their own home, and many of them are able to spend time at home and receive the needed care [1,2]
A systematic broad search was performed in October 2018 using the databases Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL) for studies published between January 1, 2000, and October 16, 2018
The results showed that telehealth apps seemed to be feasible for use in palliative care, increased and improved access to health care professionals at home, and enhanced feelings of security and safety
Summary
The preferred place of care for most patients in need of palliative care is their own home, and many of them are able to spend time at home and receive the needed care [1,2]. Patients who receive care at home report unmet palliative care needs, such as the lack of regular communication with nurses and physicians and between primary and secondary health care professionals [4]. No previous scoping review has mapped existing studies on the use of telehealth for patients in palliative home care. Four thematic groupings were identified among the included papers: easy and effortless use of telehealth regardless of the current health condition, visual features that enhance communication and care via telehealth, symptom management and self-management promotion by telehealth, and perceptions of improved palliative care at home. Conclusions: The use of telehealth in palliative home care seems to be feasible, improving access to health care professionals at home and enhancing feelings of security and safety. More research is needed to increase the body of knowledge regarding the effectiveness of telehealth on symptoms and quality of life
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