Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Oct 23, 2022
Open Peer Review Period: Oct 23, 2022 - Dec 18, 2022
Date Accepted: Feb 24, 2023
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Health Care Professionals’ Experiences and Perspectives on Using Telehealth for Home-based Palliative Care: A Scoping Review
ABSTRACT
Background:
Telehealth seems feasible for use in home-based palliative care (HBPC). However, acceptance among health care professionals (HCPs) is essential for the successful delivery of telehealth in practice. No scoping review has mapped the experiences and perspectives of HCPs regarding the use of telehealth in HBPC.
Objective:
The aim of this review was to systematically map published studies on HCPs’ experiences and perspectives on the use of telehealth in HBPC.
Methods:
This scoping review used the methodology of Arksey and O’Malley. A systematic search was performed in AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science for studies published between January 1, 2000, and August 23, 2022. The reference lists of the included papers were also handsearched to identify additional studies of relevance. Pairs of authors independently assessed the eligibility of the studies and the extracted data. The first two stages of thematic synthesis were used to thematically organize the data.
Results:
The search yielded 5,465 citations. After the removal of 2,649 duplicates, 2,816 citations were screened. The full texts of 138 citations were read; 114 citations were excluded, 5 studies were identified through handsearching, and 29 papers from 28 studies were included. Four descriptive themes were identified: 1) easy to use but technological issues undermine confidence, 2) adds value but personal and organizational barriers challenge adoption, 3) potential to provide useful and meaningful patient-reported data, and 4) mutual trust as a prerequisite for interpersonal relationships.
Conclusions:
Telehealth has the potential to enhance clinical assessments, enable shared decision making, and enhance personal and professional relationships in HBPC. However, faulty technology, organizational challenges, resistance to change among HCPs, and the negative impact on personal relations may reduce HCPs’ motivation to use telehealth. Low acceptance among HCPs seems to be a key barrier to the adoption of telehealth, and policy makers and telehealth developers should be aware of this when developing or implementing new technology for use in HBPC.
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