Introduction: Digital delivery of information in palliative care is part of the workforce solution. For more than ten years CareSearch has supported Australians of all ages with evidence in support of palliative care practice. The need for this service was and continues to be based on palliative care being a relatively young field with emerging evidence and limited pockets of established evidence-based practice. Evidence-based practice builds on what we know works and avoids ineffective or harmful practices.
Problem: With increasing hospitalisations for palliative care across most age groups in Australia specialist capacity to support all Australians with palliative care needs is being challenged. The need for upskilling of generalists and the community more broadly has been recognised. In practice this will require the development of understanding and skills across a highly varied and geographically dispersed group. CareSearch and digital innovation has a key role in supporting this development.
Approach: Digital approaches to knowledge translation are appropriate for communities connected via technology. To understand the needs and interests of our users we assessed three years of website traffic, listened to community feedback, and convened expert working groups. This has led CareSearch to re-design the website to mirror the core interests, roles, and contexts of users. It now provides context specific information via Community and Health Professional Centres, and support for skill development and access to evidence through the Evidence Centre. No door is locked, and this speaks to the need for people to understand the role and decisions of others as well as the diversity of roles and perspectives that an individual might have. Behind each door the content speaks to specific roles and contexts of care. Accessibility, navigation, and engagement have been key considerations. How data can be used to measure impact another.
Outcomes: The re-design of CareSearch has brought about greater engagement with significant increases in web traffic. Data collection will be used to drive continuous improvement.
Discussion: We discuss how providing a consistent and reliable source of information to all stakeholders is facilitated through digital applications that are mindful of audience perspectives and contexts.