Outcomes of Symptom Management among Patients Receiving In-home Visit of Palliative Telemedicine System During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors

  • Paengpan Sribunlue Palliative Nursing Unit, Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University
  • Sriveing Pirojkul Karunruk Palliative Care Center, Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University
  • Parichart Piasupan Palliative Nursing Unit, Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University
  • Natchaya Bualakorn Palliative Nursing Unit, Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University

Keywords:

Palliative care; Telemedicine; Pain reduction; Dyspnea reduction

Abstract

Background and objective: Karunruk Palliative Care Center had developed a home visit system with the interprofessional team to support palliative care at home since 2010. After the Coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic in 2020, patients and their families cannot access the traditional home visit system, especially in an emergency. Accordingly, Karunruk Palliative Care Center integrated a home visit system by implementing telemedicine in December 2020. The researchers wanted to study the outcomes of symptom management of palliative patients who received telemedicine home visits in such situations to develop a quality palliative care system in the future.

Methods: A retrospective study of outcomes of symptom management among patients receiving  in-home visit of  palliative telemedicine system during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The data of 73 patients were collected from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021 and analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results: Symptom management outcomes of palliative patients receiving telemedicine home visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, 73 patients received 142 telemedicine home visits, as a result, 93.93% of patients with moderate to severe pain scales decreased ≥ 50% within 24-48 hours, 96.67% of patients with moderate to severe dyspnea scales decreased ≥ 50% within 24-48 hours, and reduced readmission by 68.49%.

Conclusion: Nurses play an important role in the management of palliative patients who receive telemedicine home visits during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in better symptom management and reduced pain, dyspnea, and readmission.

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Published

2022-02-28

How to Cite

1.
Sribunlue P, Pirojkul S, Piasupan P, Bualakorn N. Outcomes of Symptom Management among Patients Receiving In-home Visit of Palliative Telemedicine System During the COVID-19 Pandemic . SRIMEDJ [Internet]. 2022 Feb. 28 [cited 2024 Dec. 27];37(1):76-81. Available from: https://li01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/SRIMEDJ/article/view/252885

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Section

Original Articles