Palliative care providers’ use of digital health and perspectives on technological innovation: a national study

Abstract

Background While the need for digital health capability and technological innovation in palliative care services is growing rapidly, relatively little is known about the current uptake and views of individual palliative care practitioners. This study aims to explore palliative care practitioners’ current use of and perspectives on digital health innovation in palliative care. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional survey with a web-based questionnaire was used. Participants were multidisciplinary palliative care practitioners in Australia. Results Surveys were returned by 170 medical, nursing, and allied health practitioners working in palliative care. Most respondents reported using a variety of digital health technology associated with clinical information systems, mobile devices, SMS text messaging, teleconferencing, and Wi-Fi. These technologies were used for the purpose of communicating with other health professionals, accessing web-based or mobile health palliative care resources, collecting or managing patient data, and providing information or education. However, few reported electronic access to patients’ advance care planning documentation or could update these data. Respondents were moderately confident in their ability to use digital health, held positive beliefs that palliative care could be enhanced through digital health, and were generally supportive of ongoing innovation through digitally-enable models of care. Palliative care providers would most like to see digital health innovations in the areas of client health records, telehealth, and personal health tracking. Conclusion This is the first national study of digital health in Australian palliative care providers. It contributes new knowledge in this important area of palliative care practice to guide policy and education, whilst informing future directions for research.

Identification of Digital Health Priorities for Palliative Care Research: Modified Delphi Study

“…Although geographic regions are unrepresented in our study (eg, Asia Pacific and Australasian or African regions), studies from these countries are consistent with our outcomes as they describe the emerging importance of palliative care digital health. Australian palliative care providers report digital health priorities that are similar to those identified in our study, with providers wanting innovations in the areas of client health records, telehealth, and personal health tracking [ 114 ]. However, digital health priorities are likely to differ between countries owing to geopolitical and socioeconomic drivers.…”

Palliative Care Stay Room – designing, testing and evaluating a gamified social intervention to enhance palliative care awareness.

“…The social intervention conducted in this study reminds us of the importance of being attentive to the changes and palliative care needs of a new society (29). Spreading the word and continuing to ght for the rights of citizens to Palliative Care increasingly involves using integrative and innovative technological and community-based models, which are not yet in place in this eld (30,31). Creativity, and primarily being able to learn from examples that are not from the context in which Palliative Care is studied, currently takes on a key role in the educational eld and is seen as the ingredient that can drive behavioural and social change (30,31).…”

“…Spreading the word and continuing to ght for the rights of citizens to Palliative Care increasingly involves using integrative and innovative technological and community-based models, which are not yet in place in this eld (30,31). Creativity, and primarily being able to learn from examples that are not from the context in which Palliative Care is studied, currently takes on a key role in the educational eld and is seen as the ingredient that can drive behavioural and social change (30,31). Palliative care may therefore see an opportunity here, using the social innovation model to transform ways of getting the message across and making people willing to actively engage with the di cult issues around life and death, illness, and wellbeing.…”

Palliative care education in the Asia Pacific: Challenges and progress towards palliative care development

“…[5][6][7][8] In addition, there is an identified need for education to encompass the increasing use of technology in palliative care within the context of digital health. 9,10 In community contexts, through its Last Aid courses, Palliative Care Queensland has been providing education for everyday citizens in the general public to support the development of personal skills and strengthened community action for end-oflife care, in line with the public health action areas outlined in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. 11 Overall, the landscape of palliative care education in Australia has benefited tremendously from ongoing investment of government funding, curriculum development from education providers, and public education from non-government organizations.…”