The Role of Nursing in Leveraging Mobile Health Technologies to Improve Healthcare Access and Outcomes in Rural Communities

Abstract

Background: Palliative care has evolved to support individuals with chronic illnesses at any stage, yet access remains limited, especially in rural areas. Nurses play a crucial role in utilizing mobile health technologies to enhance healthcare access and outcomes for patients in these remote communities. The integration of telehealth services has emerged as a viable solution to address these challenges.

Methods: This review evaluated peer-reviewed publications from 2019 to 2023, focusing on the use of telehealth in palliative care for rural populations. Databases such as MedLine, Google Scholar, and EBSCO were searched using keywords related to palliative care and telemedicine. The analysis included studies that assessed various telehealth modalities, including clinician-to-patient and patient-to-health technology interactions.

Results: Findings revealed that telehealth significantly improves access to palliative care, with positive impacts on symptom management, quality of life, and patient satisfaction. Approximately 50% of studies highlighted the effectiveness of interprofessional teams in delivering care via videoconferencing and other remote methods. Despite challenges such as technological barriers and patient privacy concerns, the overall satisfaction levels among patients, caregivers, and providers were high, indicating a strong acceptance of telehealth services.

Conclusion: Telehealth is a promising approach to delivering palliative care to patients in rural areas, overcoming geographical barriers, and enabling continuous access to essential services. Future research should focus on developing best practices for telehealth applications in palliative care, addressing the unique needs of diverse populations, and evaluating long-term outcomes to enhance the quality of care provided.