Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39755286›Full record

SynthesisJournal of pain and symptom management2025

How is Telehealth Used to Increase Access to Specialty Palliative Care? A Systematic Review.

Rebecca N Hutchinson, Eric J Chiu, Shane C Belin, Michele Klein-Fedyshin, Carolyn R Impagliazzo, Lucia Costanza, Joshua Passarelli, Pooja P Patel, Sumedha Sahay, Allison Shen and 2 more

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of pain and symptom management, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Rebecca N HutchinsonDivision of Palliative Medicine (R.N.H.), MaineHealth Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine, USA; Tufts University School of Medicine (L.C., J.P., P.P.P., S.S.), Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Electronic address: Becca.Hutchinson@mainehealth.org.
Eric J ChiuSection of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics (E.J.C., S.C.B., Y.S.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Palliative Research Center (E.J.C., S.C.B., Y.S.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Shane C BelinSection of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics (E.J.C., S.C.B., Y.S.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Palliative Research Center (E.J.C., S.C.B., Y.S.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Michele Klein-FedyshinHealth Sciences Library System (M.K.F.), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Carolyn R ImpagliazzoUPMC Center for High-Value Health Care (C.R.I.), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Lucia CostanzaTufts University School of Medicine (L.C., J.P., P.P.P., S.S.), Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Joshua PassarelliTufts University School of Medicine (L.C., J.P., P.P.P., S.S.), Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Pooja P PatelTufts University School of Medicine (L.C., J.P., P.P.P., S.S.), Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Sumedha SahayTufts University School of Medicine (L.C., J.P., P.P.P., S.S.), Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Allison ShenNYU Grossman School of Medicine (A.S.), NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA; School of Medicine (A.S., V.R., Y.S.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Vladislav RazskazovskiySchool of Medicine (A.S., V.R., Y.S.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Yael SchenkerSection of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics (E.J.C., S.C.B., Y.S.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Palliative Research Center (E.J.C., S.C.B., Y.S.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; School of Medicine (A.S., V.R., Y.S.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Funding

Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research: Yael Schenker, MD, MASK24AG070285 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI SCHENKER, YAEL · 2021 to 2025
$841k
NIA NIH HHS K24 AG070285
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

contextSpecialty palliative care remains inaccessible for many with serious illness, especially in rural areas. Telehealth may be one solution.

objectivesTo describe how telehealth increases access to specialty palliative care, describe facilitators and barriers to its use, and summarize evidence of patient benefits.

methodsWe conducted a systematic review using database-specific vocabulary and Boolean logic focusing on concepts "telemedicine," "remote consultation," "palliative medicine," and "hospice care." Included articles described original research evaluating a telehealth intervention addressing ≥2 National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care domains. Two researchers reviewed and abstracted articles; disagreements were resolved by consensus.

resultsOf 13,928 articles identified, 150 were eligible. Of these, 112 involved telemedicine (direct care from a clinician to a patient); 15 involved tele coaching (connection of non-palliative care clinician with a palliative care specialist to increase primary palliative care skills); 16 involved e-health (an app to monitor symptoms); and 7 involved e-consults (connection to a palliative care clinician to advise on a particular case). About two-thirds (65%) of articles were published since 2020. Common barriers included broadband issues, lack of familiarity with technology, and lack of access to a device. Facilitators included having a technology-skilled assistant and providing a device. Few studies assessed patient outcomes.

conclusionWhile telehealth is widely used to increase access to specialty palliative care, more evidence is needed to evaluate effectiveness. Further research is needed to understand how to overcome barriers prominent in rural settings and to optimize integration of multiple modalities of telehealth in specialty palliative care.

Indexed as

Health Services AccessibilityPalliative CareTelemedicineHumanse-consulte-healthhospicepalliative caretelehealthTelemedicine

Identifiers

PMID39755286
PMCPMC11951049

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.