The Role of Technology in Improving Palliative Care: A Narrative Review

Palliative care is a crucial principle for enhancing the well-being of patients facing life-threatening illnesses and theirfamily members. A rise in aging populations and non-communicable diseases has increased the global demand forpalliative care. Technological advancements have led to the integration of technology into palliative care, improvingpatient experiences. This article reviews the utilization of various technologies in palliative care, includingtelepalliative care, virtual reality, serious games, and wearable devices. Telemedicine, particularly telepalliative care,has gained prominence, offering remote access to hospice and palliative services. Different studies have demonstratedpositive patient outcomes and acceptability in these programs. Virtual reality provides immersive environments thatoffer psychological interventions for patients in palliative care. Studies indicate its effectiveness in improving thequality of life for different patient groups. Serious games, which mainly include a purpose, offer engaginginterventions that combine clinical education and skill development. Games like Hello, AquaScouts, Strong Together,and STAMP + CBT focus on advanced care planning, symptom reporting, self-advocacy, and pain management.Preliminary studies show positive effects on patient knowledge and coping mechanisms. Wearable devices, includingactigraphs and other wearable medical devices, collect continuous data on activity, sleep, and well-being. Thesedevices have been employed in studies assessing patient performance status, symptom monitoring, and circadiandisruptions, revealing insights unattainable through standard evaluations.

Keywords:

“Palliative Care” , “Telemedicine” , “Virtual Reality” , “Serious Games” , “ Wearable Devices”