465MO - Tele-palliative care services implementation to improve palliative care services in remote Islands of Riau Province, Indonesia

Background

The remote island areas in Riau Province face significant challenges in providing adequate palliative care to cancer patients due to long distances, poor health infrastructure, and a lack of specialized hospitals. Telemedicine offers a potential solution by enabling remote consultations and continuous care for these patients. This study evaluates the effectiveness of telemedicine in improving palliative care outcomes and patient satisfaction on the islands of Riau.

Methods

A mixed-method study was conducted with 100 cancer patients under palliative care, randomly assigned to an intervention (telemedicine) or control group (routine care). The telemedicine intervention included virtual consultations with palliative care specialists, remote symptom monitoring, and psychosocial support. Follow-up data over six months was collected using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire for quality of life and the FACIT-Fatigue scale to assess fatigue. Patient satisfaction was assessed through structured interviews and surveys.

Results

The telemedicine group showed significant improvement in quality-of-life scores (mean increase of 15.2 points on EORTC QLQ-C30, P < 0.01) and reduced fatigue levels (mean score difference of 8.4 points on FACIT-Fatigue scale, P < 0.05) compared to the control group. Additionally, 87% of the telemedicine group reported higher satisfaction, better access to care, and more adequate symptom management. Qualitative data from interviews indicated that regular virtual contact with healthcare providers was psychologically comforting for patients.

Conclusions

Overall, the implementation of telemedicine in palliative care on remote Riau Islands significantly enhances patient outcomes and satisfaction. This approach addresses issues of geographical isolation and provides a scalable model for similar areas facing healthcare access challenges. Telemedicine could revolutionize the delivery of quality palliative care to cancer patients in underserved regions and provides a scalable model to be applied in alternative isolated areas with similar issues of access to healthcare.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

N. M. Nasution.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.