Background: While traditional palliative care services have cared for people dying from malignancy, there is a developing focus on the end-of-life needs of those dying from chronic illnesses. Models of care to support quality of life differ given different illness trajectories, but all aim to enhance an individual’s quality of life. Telehealth has proven beneficial in supporting consultations with this cohort and has come into its own since the onset of the COVID pandemic.
Research question: What is the impact of telehealth on the provision of services to those with advanced end-stage chronic illness?
Method: Clients referred for palliative care with chronic end-stage non-malignant illness were offered telehealth support via a custom/proprietary app – “PalCare Go” – in which they were offered routine telehealth sessions, liaison with specialist physicians and GPs, and access to counselling around disease progression.
Results: Thirteen people were enrolled in PalCare Go during a seven-month period, all with chronic illness and approaching the end of their life. Three clients subsequently died and others received support from the project until their advanced illness demanded a transition to traditional palliative care. One client self discharged due to concerns about the use of technology.
Discussion & implications for practice: Telehealth as a means of communication, was effective for most clients and allowed access to services without exerting themselves by attending appointments in-person or risking exposure to COVID. Testimonials have been overwhelmingly positive. From a service perspective, the aim is to integrate the use of the PalCare Go app into mainstream practice, offering clients another option to manage how they contact the organisation, and record the information they wish to share. Thus telehealth seems a supportive option for people dying with a chronic illness, enabling individuals to maintain control over their own healthcare, including frequency of interventions.
Funding for this project was received from the Victorian Department of Health.