University Centre for Palliative Care, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, Switzerland.
Swiss Med Wkly. 2024 Jan 3;154:3487. doi: 10.57187/s.3487.
Telemedicine in palliative care (PC) is increasingly being used, especially in outpatient settings with large geographic distances. Its proven benefits include improved communication, coordination quality and time savings. However, the effect on symptom control is less evident. Whether these benefits apply to the Swiss setting and the needs of healthcare professionals (HCPs) is unknown.
To identify the perceptions and needs of healthcare professionals (nurses and physicians) regarding telemedicine (generally and specifically for care conferences) in a Swiss outpatient palliative care network.
We conducted a cross-sectional, mixed-method online survey with purposefully sampled healthcare professionals from an outpatient palliative care team as baseline data during the planning phase of a quality improvement project (digital care conferences).
FINDINGS/RESULTS: Of the 251 HCPs approached, 66 responded, including nurses (n = 37) and physicians (n = 29), with an overall response rate of 26.6%. These were distributed into two groups: general palliative care HCPs (n = 48, return rate 21.3%) and specialised palliative care HCPs (n = 18, return rate 69.2%). Generally, telemedicine was perceived as useful. Potential easy access to other HCPs and hence improved communication and coordination were perceived as advantages. Barriers included a lack of acceptance and physical contact, unsolved questions about potential data breaches and technical obstacles. Regarding digital care conferences, the perceived acceptance and feasibility were good; preferred participants were the specialised palliative care HCPs (nurses and physicians), primary physicians and home care nurses, as well as the leadership of a nurse. The needs of the HCPs were as follows: (a) clear and efficient planning, (b) usability and security and (c) visual contact with the patient.
Digital care conferences are perceived as a feasible and useful tool by healthcare professionals in a local palliative care network in Switzerland. A pilot phase will be the next step towards systematic integration of this telemedicine modality into outpatient palliative care.
姑息治疗中的远程医疗（PC）越来越多地被使用，特别是在地理距离较大的门诊环境中。其已被证实的益处包括改善沟通、协调质量和节省时间。然而，其对症状控制的影响则不那么明显。这些益处是否适用于瑞士的环境和医疗保健专业人员（HCPs）的需求尚不清楚。
确定医疗保健专业人员（护士和医生）对瑞士门诊姑息治疗网络中远程医疗（一般和特定于护理会议）的看法和需求。
我们进行了一项横断面、混合方法的在线调查，调查对象是来自姑息治疗门诊团队的有目的抽样的医疗保健专业人员，作为数字护理会议质量改进项目规划阶段的基线数据。
结果/发现：在接触的 251 名 HCPs 中，有 66 名做出了回应，包括护士（n = 37）和医生（n = 29），总回应率为 26.6%。这些被分为两组：一般姑息治疗 HCPs（n = 48，回应率 21.3%）和专门姑息治疗 HCPs（n = 18，回应率 69.2%）。一般来说，远程医疗被认为是有用的。潜在的更容易接触到其他 HCPs，从而改善沟通和协调，被认为是优势。障碍包括接受度低和身体接触、潜在数据泄露和技术障碍方面的未解决问题。关于数字护理会议，接受度和可行性被认为是良好的；首选参与者是专门的姑息治疗 HCPs（护士和医生）、初级医生和家庭护理护士，以及一名护士的领导。HCPs 的需求如下：（a）明确和高效的规划，（b）可用性和安全性，（c）与患者的视觉接触。
在瑞士的一个当地姑息治疗网络中，医疗保健专业人员认为数字护理会议是一种可行且有用的工具。试点阶段将是将这种远程医疗模式系统地纳入门诊姑息治疗的下一步。
