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Williams E, White C, Banerjee A, Hellsten M, Nobleza KJ, Nguyen DT, Casas J, Jarrell JA. Quality of Outpatient Pediatric Palliative Care Telehealth: A Retrospective Chart Review. J Pain Symptom Manage 2024; 67:561-570.e1. [PMID: 38514022 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
CONTEXT Studies suggest the feasibility and acceptability of telehealth in outpatient pediatric palliative care. However, there is a need for data that describes the implementation and quality of telehealth, relying on objective and validated measures. OBJECTIVE We sought to compare the provision of pediatric palliative care by delivery method. METHODS We conducted a retrospective electronic health record review of patients seen by our outpatient palliative care team over a two-year period. Demographic, diagnostic, and health utilization data as well as encounter characteristics were compared between patients seen in person (IP), through telehealth (TH), and both (IP/TH). RESULTS Three hundred ninety-four patients were evaluated with 889 outpatient pediatric palliative care encounters. Non-English speaking patients were less likely to receive palliative care through TH, as were patients without active patient portals. Median follow-up time was longer for patients seen through TH or IP/TH. Patients with malignancies were seen more frequently IP while children with neurologic diagnoses, technology dependence, and a higher number of complex chronic conditions were seen more frequently via TH. Health outcomes, end of life quality metrics, and encounter-level quality indicators were similar across care delivery methods. Review of systems, pain, and mood management, and advance care planning happened more frequently IP while goals of care discussions and medical decision-making happened more through TH. CONCLUSION Despite differences in patients seen and palliative interventions provided in person compared to telehealth, health outcomes, and quality indicators were similar across care delivery methods. These data support the continued practice of telehealth in palliative care and highlight the need for equity in its evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Williams
- Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine (E.W., C.W., A.B., M.H., K.J.N., D.T.N.,J.C., J.A.J.), Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Catrina White
- Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine (E.W., C.W., A.B., M.H., K.J.N., D.T.N.,J.C., J.A.J.), Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ankona Banerjee
- Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine (E.W., C.W., A.B., M.H., K.J.N., D.T.N.,J.C., J.A.J.), Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Melody Hellsten
- Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine (E.W., C.W., A.B., M.H., K.J.N., D.T.N.,J.C., J.A.J.), Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kenneth J Nobleza
- Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine (E.W., C.W., A.B., M.H., K.J.N., D.T.N.,J.C., J.A.J.), Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Duc T Nguyen
- Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine (E.W., C.W., A.B., M.H., K.J.N., D.T.N.,J.C., J.A.J.), Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jessica Casas
- Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine (E.W., C.W., A.B., M.H., K.J.N., D.T.N.,J.C., J.A.J.), Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jill Ann Jarrell
- Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine (E.W., C.W., A.B., M.H., K.J.N., D.T.N.,J.C., J.A.J.), Houston, Texas, USA.
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Sadang KG, Centracchio JA, Turk Y, Park E, Feliciano JL, Chua IS, Blackhall L, Silveira MJ, Fischer SM, Rabow M, Zachariah F, Grey C, Campbell TC, Strand J, Temel JS, Greer JA. Clinician Perceptions of Barriers and Facilitators for Delivering Early Integrated Palliative Care via Telehealth. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5340. [PMID: 38001600 PMCID: PMC10670662 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15225340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Early integrated palliative care (EIPC) significantly improves clinical outcomes for patients with advanced cancer. Telehealth may be a useful tool to deliver EIPC sustainably and equitably. Palliative care clinicians completed a survey regarding their perceptions of the barriers, facilitators, and benefits of using telehealth video visits for delivering EIPC for patients with advanced lung cancer. Forty-eight clinicians across 22 cancer centers completed the survey between May and July 2022. Most (91.7%) agreed that telehealth increases access to EIPC and simplifies the process for patients to receive EIPC (79.2%). Clinicians noted that the elderly, those in rural areas, and those with less-resourced backgrounds have greater difficulty using telehealth. Perceived barriers were largely patient-based factors, including technological literacy, internet and device availability, and patient preferences. Clinicians agreed that several organizational factors facilitated telehealth EIPC delivery, including technological infrastructure (85.4%), training (83.3%), and support from study coordinators (81.3%). Other barriers included systems-based factors, such as insurance reimbursement and out-of-state coverage restrictions. Patient-, organization-, and systems-based factors are all important to providing and improving access to telehealth EIPC services. Further research is needed to investigate the efficacy of telehealth EIPC and how policies and interventions may improve access to and dissemination of this care modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Grace Sadang
- Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
- Lifelong Medical Care Family Medicine Residency, Richmond, CA 94801, USA
| | - Joely A. Centracchio
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (J.A.C.); (Y.T.); (E.P.); (J.S.T.)
| | - Yael Turk
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (J.A.C.); (Y.T.); (E.P.); (J.S.T.)
| | - Elyse Park
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (J.A.C.); (Y.T.); (E.P.); (J.S.T.)
| | | | - Isaac S. Chua
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital & Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
| | - Leslie Blackhall
- Department of Palliative Care, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA;
| | - Maria J. Silveira
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA;
| | | | - Michael Rabow
- University of California San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA;
| | | | - Carl Grey
- Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA;
| | - Toby C. Campbell
- Department of Hematology/Oncology and Palliative Care, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA;
| | | | - Jennifer S. Temel
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (J.A.C.); (Y.T.); (E.P.); (J.S.T.)
| | - Joseph A. Greer
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (J.A.C.); (Y.T.); (E.P.); (J.S.T.)
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Frey R, Balmer D. The challenges for health professionals delivering palliative care in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic: An integrative review. Palliat Support Care 2023:1-13. [DOI: 10.1017/s1478951523000275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives
The growing demand for palliative care has been accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, providing community-based palliative care was also more difficult to do safely and faced several challenges. The goal of this integrative review was to identify, describe, and synthesize previous studies on the challenges for health professionals delivering palliative care in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
Searches were carried out on the Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Social Care Online, PubMed, Embase, and Expanded Academic databases. Journals typically reporting palliative care and community health studies were also searched (Palliative Medicine, Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, and Health & Social Care in the Community). All articles were peer-reviewed and published in English between December 2019 and September 2022.
Results
Database and hand searches identified 1231 articles. After duplicates were removed and the exclusion criteria applied, 27 articles were included in the final review. Themes in the research findings centered on 6 interconnected categories. The challenges imposed by the pandemic (lack of resources, communication difficulties, access to education and training, and interprofessional coordination), as well as the varying levels of success of the health-care responses, impacted the well-being of health professionals and, in turn, the well-being and care of patients and families.
Significance of results
The pandemic has provided the impetus for rethinking flexible and innovative approaches to overcome the challenges of delivering community palliative care. However, existing governmental and organizational policies require revision to improve communication and effective interprofessional collaboration, and additional resources are needed. A blended model of virtual and in-person palliative care delivery may provide the best solution to community palliative care delivery moving forward.
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Aldana GL, Evoh OV, Reddy A. Best Practices for Providing Patient-Centered Tele-Palliative Care to Cancer Patients. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:1809. [PMID: 36980695 PMCID: PMC10046317 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15061809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer patients receiving palliative care may face significant challenges in attending outpatient appointments. Patients on controlled substances such as opioids require frequent visits and often rely on assistive devices and/or a caregiver to accompany them to these visits. In addition, pain, fatigue, and shortness of breath may magnify the challenges associated with in-person visits. The rapid adoption of telemedicine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be highly beneficial for advanced cancer patients and caregivers. The hurried COVID-19-related implementation of telemedicine is now evolving into a permanent platform for providing palliative care. This review will focus on the best practices and recommendations to deliver high-quality, interdisciplinary tele-palliative care.
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Cacciotti C, Chua IS, Cuadra J, Ullrich NJ, Cooney TM. Pediatric central nervous system tumor survivor and caregiver experiences with multidisciplinary telehealth. J Neurooncol 2023; 162:191-198. [PMID: 36890398 PMCID: PMC9994776 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-023-04281-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Telehealth use to facilitate cancer survivorship care is accelerating; however, patient satisfaction and barriers to facilitation have not been studied amongst pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumor survivors. We assessed the telehealth experiences of survivors and caregivers in the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Outcomes Clinic at Dana-Farber/ Boston Children's Hospital. METHODS Cross-sectional study of completed surveys among patients and caregivers with ≥ 1 telehealth multidisciplinary survivorship appointment from January 2021 through March 2022. RESULTS Thirty-three adult survivors and 41 caregivers participated. The majority agreed or strongly agreed that telehealth visits started on time [65/67 (97%)], scheduling was convenient [59/61 (97%)], clinician's explanations were easy-to-understand [59/61 (97%)], listened carefully/addressed concerns [56/60 (93%)], and spent enough time with them [56/59 (95%)]. However, only 58% (n = 35/60) of respondents agreed or strongly agreed they would like to continue with telehealth and 48% (n = 32/67) agreed telehealth was as effective as in person office visits. Adult survivors were more likely than caregivers to prefer office visits for personal connection [23/32 (72%) vs. 18/39 (46%), p = 0.027]. CONCLUSION Offering telehealth multi-disciplinary services may provide more efficient and accessible care for a subset of pediatric CNS tumor survivors. Despite some advantages, patients and caregivers were divided on whether they would like to continue with telehealth and whether telehealth was as effective as office visits. To improve survivor and caregiver satisfaction, initiatives to refine patient selection as well as enhance personal communication through telehealth systems should be undertaken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantel Cacciotti
- Dana-Farber / Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Western University, 800 Commissioners Road East, Rm B1-114, London, Ontario N6A 5W9, Canada.
| | - Isaac S Chua
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer Cuadra
- Dana-Farber / Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicole J Ullrich
- Dana-Farber / Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tabitha M Cooney
- Dana-Farber / Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, Boston, MA, USA
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Alcalde Castro MJ, Zaig S, Nissim R, O'Connor B, Lau J, Mak E, Zimmermann C, Hannon B. Telehealth outpatient palliative care in the COVID-19 pandemic: patient experience qualitative study. BMJ Support Palliat Care 2023:spcare-2023-004189. [PMID: 36828625 DOI: 10.1136/spcare-2023-004189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Outpatient in-person early palliative care improves quality of life for patients with advanced cancer. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a rapid shift to telehealth visits; however, little is known about how telehealth in outpatient palliative care settings should be optimised beyond the pandemic. We aimed to explore, from the perspective of patients attending an outpatient palliative care clinic, the most appropriate model of care for in-person versus telehealth visits. METHODS A qualitative study using the grounded theory method. One-on-one, semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with 26 patients attending an outpatient palliative care clinic at a tertiary cancer centre recruited from two groups: (1) those with >1 in-person appointment prior to 1 March 2020 and >1 telehealth appointment after this date (n=17); and (2) patients who had exclusively telehealth appointments (n=9). Purposive sampling was used to incorporate diverse perspectives. RESULTS Overall, participants endorsed a flexible hybrid approach incorporating both in-person and telehealth visits. Specific categories were: (1) in-person outpatient palliative care supported building interpersonal connections and trust; (2) telehealth palliative care facilitated greater efficiency, comfort and independence and (3) patient-preferred circumstances for in-person visits (preferred for initial consultations, visits where a physical examination may be required and advance care planning discussions), versus telehealth visits (preferred during periods of relative heath stability). CONCLUSIONS The elements of in-person and telehealth outpatient palliative care clinic visits described by patients as integral to their care may be used to develop models of hybrid outpatient palliative care delivery beyond the pandemic alongside reimbursement and regulatory guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shenhab Zaig
- Department of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rinat Nissim
- Department of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brenda O'Connor
- Department of Palliative Medicine, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jenny Lau
- Department of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ernie Mak
- Department of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Camilla Zimmermann
- Department of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Breffni Hannon
- Department of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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