Advantages and Challenges in Using Telehealth for Home-Based Palliative Care: Protocol for a Systematic Mixed Studies Review

Abstract

Background Given the increasing number of people in need of palliative care services and the current health care professional workforce strain, providing equitable, quality palliative care has become a challenge. Telehealth could be an innovative approach to palliative care delivery, enabling patients to spend more time or even remain at home, if they wish, throughout the illness trajectory. However, no previous systematic mixed studies reviews have synthesized evidence on patients’ experiences of the advantages and challenges of telehealth for home-based palliative care. Objective The aim of this systematic mixed studies review is to critically appraise and synthesize findings from studies that investigated patients’ use of telehealth in home-based palliative care with a focus on the advantages and challenges experienced by the patients. Methods This article describes the protocol for a systematic mixed studies review with a convergent design. The reporting will be guided by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement. A systematic search was performed in eight databases for studies published from January 2010 to June 2020. The search will be updated in 2021. Pairs of authors will independently assess eligibility, extract data, and assess methodological quality. The data will then be analyzed using thematic synthesis. Results We describe the rationale and design of a systematic mixed studies review. The database searches were performed on June 25, 2020. Assessment of eligibility and further steps have not yet been performed. Results are anticipated by August 2021. Conclusions Following the ethos of patient-centered palliative care, this systematic mixed studies review could lead to recommendations for practice and policy, enabling the development and implementation of telehealth applications and services that align with patients’ preferences and needs at home. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/22626