Palliative care, a discipline aimed at improving the quality of life of people with life-threatening illnesses, typically operates within specialized units.
Currently, ICUs focus primarily on lifesaving interventions, resulting in limited incorporation of palliative care practices. To bridge this gap, tools are needed to facilitate the integration of palliative care in ICUs. Telehealth, a proven approach in various contexts, offers promising opportunities for this integration. For instance, telepalliative care within ICUs can involve scenarios such as an ICU physician consulting a palliative care specialist via video conferencing to address complex cases, remote monitoring of patient symptoms by a palliative care physician via a robotic platform, and involving family members in advance care planning discussions through video conferencing.
However, when introducing new digital technologies into palliative care practices, it is crucial to consider the ethical issues involved.
→ more here | press release of the Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, KU Leuven
