scholarly journals Advantages and challenges in using telehealth for home-based palliative care: A systematic mixed studies review (Preprint)

10.2196/22626 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simen A Steindal ◽  
Andréa Aparecida Goncalves Nes ◽  
Tove E. Godskesen ◽  
Susanne Lind ◽  
Alfhild Dhle ◽  
...  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simen A Steindal ◽  
Andréa Aparecida Goncalves Nes ◽  
Tove E. Godskesen ◽  
Susanne Lind ◽  
Alfhild Dhle ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Due to 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. 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. METHODS This article describes the protocol for a systematic mixed studies review with a convergent design. The reporting will be guided by the 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. RESULTS We described 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. CONCLUSIONS Following the ethos of patient-centered palliative care, this systematic mixed studies review could contribute recommendations for practice and policy enabling the development of telehealth applications and services that align with patients’ preferences and needs when using telehealth applications and services at home.


Author(s):  
Bridee A. Neibling ◽  
Sarah M. Jackson ◽  
Kathryn S. Hayward ◽  
Ruth N. Barker

Abstract Background Technology is being increasingly investigated as an option to allow stroke survivors to exploit their full potential for recovery by facilitating home-based upper limb practice. This review seeks to explore the factors that influence perseverance with technology-facilitated home-based upper limb practice after stroke. Methods A systematic mixed studies review with sequential exploratory synthesis was undertaken. Studies investigating adult stroke survivors with upper limb disability undertaking technology-facilitated home-based upper limb practice administered ≥ 3 times/week over a period of ≥ 4 weeks were included. Qualitative outcomes were stroke survivors’ and family members’ perceptions of their experience utilising technology to facilitate home-based upper limb practice. Quantitative outcomes were adherence and dropouts, as surrogate measures of perseverance. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess quality of included studies. Results Forty-two studies were included. Six studies were qualitative and of high quality; 28 studies were quantitative and eight were mixed methods studies, all moderate to low quality. A conceptual framework of perseverance with three stages was formed: (1) getting in the game; (2) sticking with it, and; (3) continuing or moving on. Conditions perceived to influence perseverance, and factors mediating these conditions were identified at each stage. Adherence with prescribed dose ranged from 13 to 140%. Participants were found to be less likely to adhere when prescribed sessions were more frequent (6–7 days/week) or of longer duration (≥ 12 weeks). Conclusion From the mixed methods findings, we propose a framework for perseverance with technology-facilitated home-based upper limb practice. The framework offers opportunities for clinicians and researchers to design strategies targeting factors that influence perseverance with practice, in both the clinical prescription of practice and technology design. To confirm the clinical utility of this framework, further research is required to explore perseverance and the factors influencing perseverance. Registration: PROSPERO CRD42017072799—https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=72799


2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 399-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuva Sandsdalen ◽  
Reidun Hov ◽  
Sevald Høye ◽  
Ingrid Rystedt ◽  
Bodil Wilde-Larsson

Author(s):  
Valeria Cardenas ◽  
Anna Rahman ◽  
Yujun Zhu ◽  
Susan Enguidanos

Background: Despite some insurance plans now paying for home-based palliative care, recent reports have suggested that insurance coverage for palliative care may be insufficient in expanding patient access to home-based palliative care. Aim: To identify patients’ and caregivers’ perceived barriers to home-based palliative care and their recommendations for overcoming these barriers. Design: We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured individual interviews. Our interview protocol elicited participants’ perspectives on home-based palliative care services; positive and negative aspects of the palliative program explanation; and suggestions for improving messaging around home-based palliative care. Setting/Participants: Twenty-five participants (patients, proxies, and their caregivers) who were eligible for a randomized controlled trial of home-based palliative care were interviewed by telephone. Results: Themes related to home-based palliative care referral barriers included reluctance to have home visits, enrollment timing, lack of palliative care knowledge, misconceptions about palliative care, and patients’ self-perceived health condition. Themes related to recommendations for overcoming these obstacles included ensuring that palliative care referrals come from healthcare providers or insurance companies and presenting palliative care services more clearly. Conclusion: Findings reinforce the need for additional palliative care education among patients with serious illness (and their caregivers) and the importance of delivering palliative care information and referrals from trusted sources.


2020 ◽  
pp. 026921632097927
Author(s):  
Jiaoli Cai ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Denise Guerriere ◽  
Peter C Coyte

Background: Understanding the determinants of the intensity of informal care may assist policy makers in the identification of supports for informal caregivers. Little is known about the utilization of informal care throughout the palliative care trajectory. Aim: The purpose of this study was to analyze the intensity and determinants of the use of informal care among cancer patients over the palliative care trajectory. Design: This was a longitudinal, prospective cohort design conducted in Canada. Regression analysis using instrumental variables was applied. Setting/participants: From November 2013 to August 2017, a total of 273 caregivers of cancer patients were interviewed biweekly over the course of the care recipient’s palliative care trajectory. The outcome was the number of hours of informal care provided by unpaid caregivers, that is, hours of informal care. Results: The number of hours of informal care increased as patients approached death. Home-based nursing care complemented, and hence, increased the provision of informal care. Patients living alone and caregivers who were employed were associated with the provision of fewer hours of informal care. Spousal caregivers provided more hours of informal care. Patient’s age, sex, and marital status, and caregiver’s age, sex, marital status, and education were associated with the number of hours of informal care. Conclusions: The intensity of informal care was determined by predisposing, enabling, and needs-based factors. This study provides a reference for the planning and targeting of supports for the provision of informal care.


Author(s):  
Holly R. Cherniwchan

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for end-of-life services and bereavement support, and in many areas of the world, in-person palliative care is struggling to meet these needs. Local infection control measures result in limited visitation rights in hospital and patients are often dying alone. For many years, virtual platforms have been used as a validated alternative to in-person consults for outpatient and home-based palliative care; however, the feasibility and acceptability of a virtual inpatient equivalent is less studied. Virtual inpatient palliative care may offer a unique opportunity for patients to have meaningful interactions with their care team and family while isolated in hospital or in hospice. This narrative review examines strategies employed during the COVID-19 pandemic to implement virtual palliative care services in the inpatient setting. Five key themes were identified in the literature between January 2020-March 2021 in the LitCovid NCBI database: 1) overall acceptability of virtual inpatient palliative care during the pandemic, 2) important logistical considerations when developing a virtual inpatient palliative care platform, 3) commonly used technologies for delivering virtual services, 4) strategies for harnessing human resources to meet increased patient volume, and 5) challenges of virtual inpatient palliative care implementation. Upon review, telepalliative care can meet the increased demand for safe and accessible inpatient palliative care during a pandemic; however, in some circumstances in-person services should still be considered. The decision for which patients receive what format of care—in-person or virtual—should be decided on a case-by-case basis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xhyljeta Luta ◽  
Baptiste Ottino ◽  
Peter Hall ◽  
Joanna Bowden ◽  
Bee Wee ◽  
...  

Abstract Background As the demand for palliative care increases, more information is needed on how efficient different types of palliative care models are for providing care to dying patients and their caregivers. Evidence on the economic value of treatments and interventions is key to informing resource allocation and ultimately improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery. We assessed the available evidence on the economic value of palliative and end-of-life care interventions across various settings. Methods Reviews published between 2000 and 2019 were included. We included reviews that focused on cost-effectiveness, intervention costs and/or healthcare resource use. Two reviewers extracted data independently and in duplicate from the included studies. Data on the key characteristics of the studies were extracted, including the aim of the study, design, population, type of intervention and comparator, (cost-) effectiveness resource use, main findings and conclusions. Results A total of 43 reviews were included in the analysis. Overall, most evidence on cost-effectiveness relates to home-based interventions and suggests that they offer substantial savings to the health system, including a decrease in total healthcare costs, resource use and improvement in patient and caregivers’ outcomes. The evidence of interventions delivered across other settings was generally inconsistent. Conclusions Some palliative care models may contribute to dual improvement in quality of care via lower rates of aggressive medicalization in the last phase of life accompanied by a reduction in costs. Hospital-based palliative care interventions may improve patient outcomes, healthcare utilization and costs. There is a need for greater consistency in reporting outcome measures, the informal costs of caring, and costs associated with hospice.


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