Elements of Social Convoy Theory in Mobile Health for Palliative Care: Scoping Review

Background Mobile health (mHealth) provides a unique modality for improving access to and awareness of palliative care among patients, families, and caregivers from diverse backgrounds. Some mHealth palliative care apps exist, both commercially available and established by academic researchers. However, the elements of family support and family caregiving tools offered by these early apps is unknown. Objective The objective of this scoping review was to use social convoy theory to describe the inclusion and functionality of family, social relationships, and caregivers in palliative care mobile apps. Methods Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Review guidelines, a systematic search of palliative care mHealth included (1) research-based mobile apps identified from academic searches published between January 1, 2010, and March 31, 2019 and (2) commercially available apps for app stores in April 2019. Two reviewers independently assessed abstracts, app titles, and descriptions against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Abstracted data covered app name, research team or developer, palliative care element, target audience, and features for family support and caregiving functionality as defined by social convoy theory. Results Overall, 10 articles describing 9 individual research-based apps and 22 commercially available apps were identified. Commercially available apps were most commonly designed for both patients and social convoys, whereas the majority of research apps were designed for patient use only. Conclusions Results suggest there is an emerging presence of apps for patients and social convoys receiving palliative care; however, there are many needs for developers and researchers to address in the future. Although palliative care mHealth is a growing field, additional research is needed for apps that embrace a team approach to information sharing, target family- and caregiver-specific issues, promote access to palliative care, and are comprehensive of palliative needs.

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Elements of Social Convoy Theory in Mobile Health for Palliative Care: Scoping Review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.16060 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Jennifer D Portz ◽

Kira Elsbernd ◽

Evan Plys ◽

Kelsey Lynett Ford ◽

Xuhong Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

Family Support ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Family Caregiving ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Team Approach ◽

Diverse Backgrounds ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Patient Use

BACKGROUND Mobile health (mHealth) provides a unique modality for improving access to and awareness of palliative care among patients, families, and caregivers from diverse backgrounds. Some mHealth palliative care apps exist, both commercially available and established by academic researchers. However, the elements of family support and family caregiving tools offered by these early apps is unknown. OBJECTIVE The objective of this scoping review was to use social convoy theory to describe the inclusion and functionality of family, social relationships, and caregivers in palliative care mobile apps. METHODS Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Review guidelines, a systematic search of palliative care mHealth included (1) research-based mobile apps identified from academic searches published between January 1, 2010, and March 31, 2019 and (2) commercially available apps for app stores in April 2019. Two reviewers independently assessed abstracts, app titles, and descriptions against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Abstracted data covered app name, research team or developer, palliative care element, target audience, and features for family support and caregiving functionality as defined by social convoy theory. RESULTS Overall, 10 articles describing 9 individual research-based apps and 22 commercially available apps were identified. Commercially available apps were most commonly designed for both patients and social convoys, whereas the majority of research apps were designed for patient use only. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest there is an emerging presence of apps for patients and social convoys receiving palliative care; however, there are many needs for developers and researchers to address in the future. Although palliative care mHealth is a growing field, additional research is needed for apps that embrace a team approach to information sharing, target family- and caregiver-specific issues, promote access to palliative care, and are comprehensive of palliative needs.

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Are patient portals being used to support palliative and end-of-life care?: A scoping review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.28797 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

M. Pilar Ingle ◽

Cristina Valdovinos ◽

Kelsey L. Ford ◽

Shou Zhou ◽

Sheana Bull ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

End Of Life ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Future Research ◽

Patient Portal ◽

Patient Portals ◽

User Acceptability ◽

National Coalition ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Hospice And Palliative Care

BACKGROUND Although patient portals are widely used for health promotion, little is known about use of palliative care and end-of-life (PCEOL) portal tools available for patients and caregivers. OBJECTIVE To identify and assess user perspectives of PCEOL portal tools available to patients and caregivers described and evaluated in the literature. METHODS A scoping review of the academic literature directed by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR). We searched three databases. Sources were included if they reported the development or testing of a feature, resource, tool, or intervention, focused on at least one PCEOL domain defined by the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care, targeted adults with serious illness and/or caregivers, and were offered via patient portal tethered to an electronic medical record. Authors independently screened titles and abstracts (N=796) for eligibility. Full texts (N=84) sources were reviewed. Descriptions of the portal tool name, content, targeted population, and reported user acceptability for each tool were abstracted from included sources (N=19). RESULTS Nineteen articles describing 12 tools were included, addressing the following PCEOL domains: ethical/legal (N=5), physical (N=5), and psychological/psychiatric (N=2). No tools for bereavement or hospice were identified. Studies reported high acceptability of tools among users; however, few sources commented on usability among older adults. CONCLUSIONS PCEOL patient portal tools are understudied. As medical care increasingly moves towards virtual platforms, future research should investigate the usability and acceptability of PCEOL patient portals resources and evaluate their impact on health outcomes.

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Mobile Health Apps That Help With COVID-19 Management: Scoping Review

JMIR Nursing ◽

10.2196/20596 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. e20596 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hanson John Leon Singh ◽

Danielle Couch ◽

Kevin Yap

Keyword(s):

Mobile Health ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Information Provision ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Contact Tracing ◽

Symptom Monitoring ◽

Scoping Reviews ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Google Search ◽

Mhealth Apps

Background Mobile health (mHealth) apps have played an important role in mitigating the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response. However, there is no resource that provides a holistic picture of the available mHealth apps that have been developed to combat this pandemic. Objective Our aim is to scope the evidence base on apps that were developed in response to COVID-19. Methods Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines for scoping reviews, literature searches were conducted on Google Search, Google Scholar, and PubMed using the country’s name as keywords and “coronavirus,” “COVID-19,” “nCOV19,” “contact tracing,” “information providing apps,” “symptom tracking,” “mobile apps,” “mobile applications,” “smartphone,” “mobile phone,” and “mHealth.” Countries most affected by COVID-19 and those that first rolled out COVID-19–related apps were included. Results A total of 46 articles were reviewed from 19 countries, resulting in a total of 29 apps. Among them, 15 (52%) apps were on contact tracing, 7 (24%) apps on quarantine, 7 (24%) on symptom monitoring, and 1 (3%) on information provision. More than half (n=20, 69%) were from governmental sources, only 3 (10%) were from private organizations, and 3 (10%) from universities. There were 6 (21%) apps available on either Android or iOS, and 10 (34%) were available on both platforms. Bluetooth was used in 10 (34%) apps for collecting data, 12 (41%) apps used GPS, and 12 (41%) used other forms of data collection. Conclusions This review identifies that the majority of COVID-19 apps were for contact tracing and symptom monitoring. However, these apps are effective only if taken up by the community. The sharing of good practices across different countries can enable governments to learn from each other and develop effective strategies to combat and manage this pandemic.

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Implementation and use of mHealth home telemonitoring in adults with acute COVID-19 infection: a scoping review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053819 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. e053819

Author(s):

Nurlan Dauletbaev ◽

Sebastian Kuhn ◽

Svea Holtz ◽

Susanne Waldmann ◽

Lukas Niekrenz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Evidence Synthesis ◽

Knowledge Based ◽

Home Telemonitoring ◽

Scoping Reviews ◽

Review Protocol ◽

Remote Patient ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Abstract Screening

IntroductionmHealth refers to digital technologies that, via smartphones, mobile apps and specialised digital sensors, yield real-time assessments of patient’s health status. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, these technologies enable remote patient monitoring, with the benefit of timely recognition of disease progression to convalescence, deterioration or postacute sequelae. This should enable appropriate medical interventions and facilitate recovery. Various barriers, both at patient and technology levels, have been reported, hindering implementation and use of mHealth telemonitoring. As systematised and synthesised evidence in this area is lacking, we developed this protocol for a scoping review on mHealth home telemonitoring of acute COVID-19.Methods and analysisWe compiled a search strategy following the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome) and PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendation for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. MEDLINE, Embase and Web of Science will be searched from 1 March 2020 to 31 August 2021. Following the title and abstract screening, we will identify, systematise and synthesise the available knowledge. Based on pilot searches, we preview three themes for descriptive evidence synthesis. The first theme relates to implementation and use of mHealth telemonitoring, including reported barriers. The second theme covers the interactions of the telemonitoring team within and between different levels of the healthcare system. The third theme addresses how this telemonitoring warrants the continuity of care, also during disease transition into deterioration or postacute sequelae.Ethics and disseminationThe studied evidence is in the public domain, therefore, no specific ethics approval is required. Evidence dissemination will be via peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and reports to the policy makers.

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Can mobile health apps replace GPs? A scoping review of comparisons between mobile apps and GP tasks

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making ◽

10.1186/s12911-019-1016-4 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Apichai Wattanapisit ◽

Chin Hai Teo ◽

Sanhapan Wattanapisit ◽

Emylia Teoh ◽

Wing Jun Woo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Practitioners ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Clinical Decision Making ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Disease Diagnosis ◽

App Store ◽

Manual Search ◽

Google Play ◽

Mhealth Apps

Abstract Background Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) are increasingly being used to perform tasks that are conventionally performed by general practitioners (GPs), such as those involved in promoting health, preventing disease, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and support for health services. This raises an important question: can mobile apps replace GPs? This study aimed to systematically search for and identify mobile apps that can perform GP tasks. Methods A scoping review was carried out. The Google Play Store and Apple App Store were searched for mobile apps, using search terms derived from the UK Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) guideline on GPs’ core capabilities and competencies. A manual search was also performed to identify additional apps. Results The final analysis included 17 apps from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, and 21 apps identified by the manual search. mHealth apps were found to have the potential to replace GPs for tasks such as recording medical history and making diagnoses; performing some physical examinations; supporting clinical decision making and management; assisting in urgent, long-term, and disease-specific care; and health promotion. In contrast, mHealth apps were unable to perform medical procedures, appropriately utilise other professionals, and coordinate a team-based approach. Conclusions This scoping review highlights the functions of mHealth apps that can potentially replace GP tasks. Future research should focus on assessing the performance and quality of mHealth apps in comparison with that of real doctors.

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The roles, responsibilities and practices of healthcare assistants in out-of-hours community palliative care: A systematic scoping review

Palliative Medicine ◽

10.1177/0269216320929559 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (8) ◽

pp. 976-988

Author(s):

Anne Fee ◽

Deborah Muldrew ◽

Paul Slater ◽

Sheila Payne ◽

Sonja McIlfatrick ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Future Research ◽

Emotional Needs ◽

Out Of Hours ◽

Scoping Reviews ◽

Role Responsibilities ◽

Meta Analyses

Background: Access to community palliative care ‘out-of-hours’ – defined as care provided after the normal hours of work – is advocated globally. Healthcare assistants, who provide care under the direction of a qualified professional, are increasingly employed to help deliver such care, yet there is a little understanding regarding their role, responsibilities or contribution. Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the roles, responsibilities and contributions of healthcare assistants in out-of-hours community palliative care. Design: Scoping review Data sources: Five bibliographic databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Scopus) and grey literature were searched using a predefined search strategy. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews statement. Results: The search yielded six papers using quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. Results highlighted a lack of recognition of the role and contribution of healthcare assistants. A concurrent theme was that healthcare assistants continually monitored and responded to patient’s and family’s physical and emotional needs; there was also self-reported evidence indicating patient and family benefit, such as maintaining a sense of normality and support to remain at home. Discussion: This review highlighted a dearth of evidence relating to the healthcare assistant role in out-of-hours palliative care. Limited evidence suggests they play a role, but that it is hidden and undervalued. Such invisibility will have a significant impact on the planning and delivery of out-of-hours palliative care. Future research is needed on role development for the benefit of patients and caregivers.

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Mobile Health Apps That Help With COVID-19 Management: Scoping Review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.20596 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hanson John Leon Singh ◽

Danielle Couch ◽

Kevin Yap

Keyword(s):

Mobile Health ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Information Provision ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Contact Tracing ◽

Symptom Monitoring ◽

Scoping Reviews ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Google Search ◽

Mhealth Apps

BACKGROUND Mobile health (mHealth) apps have played an important role in mitigating the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response. However, there is no resource that provides a holistic picture of the available mHealth apps that have been developed to combat this pandemic. OBJECTIVE Our aim is to scope the evidence base on apps that were developed in response to COVID-19. METHODS Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines for scoping reviews, literature searches were conducted on Google Search, Google Scholar, and PubMed using the country’s name as keywords and “coronavirus,” “COVID-19,” “nCOV19,” “contact tracing,” “information providing apps,” “symptom tracking,” “mobile apps,” “mobile applications,” “smartphone,” “mobile phone,” and “mHealth.” Countries most affected by COVID-19 and those that first rolled out COVID-19–related apps were included. RESULTS A total of 46 articles were reviewed from 19 countries, resulting in a total of 29 apps. Among them, 15 (52%) apps were on contact tracing, 7 (24%) apps on quarantine, 7 (24%) on symptom monitoring, and 1 (3%) on information provision. More than half (n=20, 69%) were from governmental sources, only 3 (10%) were from private organizations, and 3 (10%) from universities. There were 6 (21%) apps available on either Android or iOS, and 10 (34%) were available on both platforms. Bluetooth was used in 10 (34%) apps for collecting data, 12 (41%) apps used GPS, and 12 (41%) used other forms of data collection. CONCLUSIONS This review identifies that the majority of COVID-19 apps were for contact tracing and symptom monitoring. However, these apps are effective only if taken up by the community. The sharing of good practices across different countries can enable governments to learn from each other and develop effective strategies to combat and manage this pandemic.

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The Scoping Review of Smart Healthcare Applications in Medical Health (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.18681 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Cheng Hang Wu ◽

Ching Ju Chiu ◽

Yen Ju Liou ◽

Chun Ying Lee ◽

Susan C. Hu

Keyword(s):

Systematic Reviews ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Search Strategy ◽

Rapid Development ◽

Related Research ◽

Geographic Access ◽

Smart Healthcare ◽

Research Findings ◽

Healthcare Interventions

BACKGROUND There is still no consensus on research terms for smart healthcare worldwide. The study conducted by Lewis 10 years ago showed extending geographic access was the major health purpose of health-related information communication technology (ICT), but today's situation may be different because of the rapid development of smart healthcare. Objective: The main aim of this study is to classify recent smart healthcare interventions. Therefore, this scoping review was conducted as a feasible tool for exploring this domain and summarizing related research findings. OBJECTIVE The main aim of this study is to classify recent smart healthcare interventions. Therefore, this scoping review was conducted as a feasible tool for exploring this domain and summarizing related research findings. METHODS The scoping review relies on the analysis of previous reviews of smart healthcare interventions assessed for their effectiveness in the framework of a systematic review and/or meta-analysis. The search strategy was based on the identification of smart healthcare interventions reported as the proposed keywords. In the analysis, the reviews published from January 2015 to December 2019 were included. RESULTS The number of publications for smart healthcare's systematic reviews has continued to grow in the past five years. The search strategy yielded 210 systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses addressed to target groups of interest. 68.5% of these publications used mobile health as a keyword. According to the classification by Lewis, 37.62% of the literature was applied to extend geographic access. According to the classification by the Joint Commission of Taiwan (JCT), 48.84% of smart healthcare was applied in clinical areas, and 60% of it was applied in outpatient medical services. CONCLUSIONS Smart healthcare interventions are being widely used in clinical settings and for disease management. The research of mobile health has received the most attention among smart healthcare interventions. The main purpose of mobile health was used to extend geographic access to increase medical accessibility in clinical areas. CLINICALTRIAL none

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The support needs of parent caregivers of children with a life-limiting illness and approaches used to meet their needs: A scoping review

Palliative Medicine ◽

10.1177/0269216320967593 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 026921632096759

Author(s):

Fenella J Gill ◽

Zahraa Hashem ◽

Roswitha Stegmann ◽

Samar M Aoun

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

Scoping Review ◽

English Language ◽

Support Needs ◽

Care Needs ◽

Caregiver Support ◽

Paediatric Palliative Care ◽

Heterogenous Population ◽

Parent Caregivers ◽

The Individual

Background: Provision of paediatric palliative care is complex and optimally covers meeting the individual needs of a heterogenous population of children and their parent caregivers throughout a life-limiting illness. It is unclear whether existing approaches comprehensively address parent caregivers’ needs. Aim: To examine support needs of parents caring for children with life limiting illnesses and identify specific approaches used to identify and address needs. Design: A scoping review Data sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and ProQuest Central, were searched for peer reviewed English language full text research published from 2008 to 2019. Study quality appraisal was undertaken. Fourteen quantitative, 18 qualitative and 12 mixed methods studies were synthesised and themed using summative content analysis and mapped to the Parent Supportive Care Needs Framework (PSCNF). Results: Themes were communication, choice, information, practical, social, psychological, emotional and physical. Communication and choice were central and additional to domains of the PSCNF. Unmet were needs for supporting siblings, for respite care, out of hours, psychological, home and educational support. Six articles reported using instruments to identify parent carer support needs. Conclusion: Support needs of parent caregivers of children with life limiting illnesses are substantial and heterogenous. While studies report evidence of burden and distress in parent caregivers, this rarely translates into improvements in practice through the development of interventions. A systematic and regular assessment of individual parent caregiver support needs is required by using instruments appropriate to use in clinical practice to move the focus to palliative care interventions and improved services for parents.

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A Systematic Review on Barriers to Palliative Care in Oncology

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine® ◽

10.1177/1049909120983283 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 104990912098328

Author(s):

Jyotsana Parajuli ◽

Judith E. Hupcey

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Palliative Care ◽

Full Text ◽

Literature Search ◽

Intervention Development ◽

The United States ◽

Care Utilization ◽

Review Of Literature ◽

Meta Analyses

The number of people with cancer and the need for palliative care among this population is increasing in the United States. Despite this growing need, several barriers exist to the utilization of palliative care in oncology. The purpose of this study was to synthesize the evidence on the barriers to palliative care utilization in an oncology population. A systematic review of literature was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, CINAHL, and Psych Info databases were used for the literature search. Articles were included if they: 1) focused on cancer, (2) examined and discussed barriers to palliative care, and c) were peer reviewed, published in English, and had an accessible full text. A total of 29 studies (8 quantitative, 18 qualitative, and 3 mixed-methods) were identified and synthesized for this review. The sample size of the included studies ranged from 10 participants to 313 participants. The barriers to palliative care were categorized into barriers related to the patient and family, b) barriers related to providers, and c) barriers related to the healthcare system or policy. The factors identified in this review provide guidance for intervention development to mitigate the existing barriers and facilitate the use palliative care in individuals with cancer.

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