The Impact of “Modern Telecommunication” in Palliative Care—The Views of the Professionals

Abstract

Our study underlines the necessity of face-to-face contact in optimal palliative care and that home visits were favored. The participants were generally positive toward telecommunication, although reservations and prerequisites were voiced.

Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación (TIC) aplicadas en cuidados paliativos: revisión de tema

“…En una investigación cualitativa realizada en Holanda en el año 2015 con pacientes, familiares y cuidadores, se encontró que la consulta mediada por un sistema de conferencias ofreció encuentros entre pacientes de cuidados paliativos domiciliarios y profesionales además de una visión única de la vida diaria de los pacientes y la interacción a largo plazo que da como resultado relaciones y experiencias de confianza, de intimidad y alivio (24) .…”

“…En otro estudio realizado en 2014 los hallazgos confirmaron que las consultas paliativas de telemedicina son tan eficaces como las consultas cara a cara dado que los componentes de la consulta de cuidados paliativos se documentaron tal y como si hubieran ocurrido presencialmente independientemente del método de consulta (24) . Otro estudio que afianza este argumento fue uno realizado en un grupo de niños, en el cual se compararon los registros de consultas paliativas pediátricas realizadas cara a cara, con consultas de telemedicina realizadas en los hogares de los pacientes y confirmaron que las consultas paliativas a través de la telemedicina son tan efectivas como las consultas cara a cara en términos de los componentes documentados de la consulta (30) .…”

Telemedicine in specialised palliative care: Healthcare professionals' and their perspectives on video consultations—A qualitative study

“…Studies from Neergaard et al, and theories by Kotter, explain that if the use of telemedicine, such as video consultations are to be embraced, the technology should be individualised in relation to the patients, setting and healthcare professionals and make sense in the given situation (Kotter, ; Neergaard et al, ). Thus, the overall purpose of this study was to clarify if the use of video consultations is feasible in a SPC setting and to explore how healthcare professionals experience the use of video consultations in their work with caring for seriously ill patients, focusing on the following research questions: Which facilitators and barriers are important when introducing video consultations? How do healthcare professionals experience the use of video consultations? …”

“…The telecommunication systems deliver health care at a distance with the potential to improve access to health care and change the way health care is organised (Flodgren, Rachas, Farmer, Inzitari, & Shepperd, 2015). However, the implementation, and use of telemedicine, can lead to resistance among healthcare professionals, within palliative care, as they see it as a threat to their clinical work and professionalism (Neergaard et al, 2014).…”

“…Many healthcare professionals still prefer face-to-face communication, when interacting with patients and their relatives, and in specialised palliative care (SPC) telemedicine solutions are not widely used (Collier et al, 2016;Neergaard et al, 2014). Despite this, worldwide studies have been completed and have described the use of telemedicine in palliative care (Collier et al, 2016;Hoek, Schers, Bronkhorst, Vissers, & Hasselaar, 2017; van Gurp, van Selm, van Leeuwen, Vissers, & Hasselaar, 2016; van Gurp, van Selm, Vissers, van Leeuwen, & Hasselaar, 2015).…”