Abstract
The Irish Public Service Transformation 2030 and SlainteCare strategies prioritise Digital and Innovation at Scale across all public services. One focus of the health strategies is developing primary and community care, making it possible for people to stay healthy in their homes and communities for as long as possible. Technology driven healthcare solutions have the capability to provide enhanced patient centric inpatient and community based palliative care. The benefits of incorporating technologies to support a patients palliative care journey, range from enhanced quality and coordination of care, improved symptom management, remote monitoring to improved communication. Such technologies have the potential to transform digital healthcare, can empower patients and hence improve their care experience. Technology driven healthcare solutions can benefit the patient’s and healthcare providers through real time symptom monitoring allowing for more timely early interventions and adjustments to treatment plans in real time.
Telehealth platforms enable remote communication, patient care and consultations. Video conferencing applications provide patients with limited mobility, a means to communicate virtually with their medical team on a regular basis. Remote monitoring devices such as smart wearables or mobile healthcare applications provide much-needed remote healthcare monitoring to track symptoms, management of pain and modify medication. Technologies are emerging at a rapid pace, with the potential to impact healthcare.
- Virtual Reality offers solutions such as virtual reality therapeutics(VRT) for pain management, distraction or spiritual therapy, mindfulness and relaxation or cognitive stimulation. Applications of this technology for palliative care have shown to be useful and acceptable. Personalisation of VRT experiences and co-creation with the patient, their families and friends may be pivotal to its long term implementation.
- Artificial intelligence(AI) AI algorithms and applications, can analyse patient data, using predictive analytics to improve or identify personalized treatment plans as well as monitor disease progression, improving the accuracy of intelligent home medical systems.
- Nanotechnology and AI has stemmed the emergence of the next generation of robotics. Robotics in palliative healthcare range from assistive robots, telepresence robots to social/companion robots.
The importance of co-creation approaches and digital social innovation needs to be at the heart of such technology driven healthcare applications. Co-creation methods for digital innovation is important. It opens up the brainstorming and conceptualization stage to external stakeholders ensuring that the end user groups needs and expectations are considered and incorporated into the design. The co-creation process should take account of digital social innovation barriers to co-create technology to assist palliative patients address social challenges of communication and engagement due to life limiting conditions. Technologies like online communication platforms, digital tools and therapeutic digital innovations promote engagement with family and friends, advanced care planning and interactive experiences providing a positive and personalized home care experience. The use and integration of technologies in palliative healthcare has the potential to be transformative and to improve the quality of life for individuals with life limiting conditions.