Patient and caregiver satisfaction of a palliative care chronic diseases clinic during COVID lockdowns.

Objectives: To assess the quality assurance of a specialist palliative care clinic focused on chronic diseases and explore the satisfaction and acceptability of the telemedicine model amongst patients and caregivers.

Methods: A cross-sectional 23-item survey was developed by the clinical team, approved by ethics and distributed to patients and caregivers. Data collection ran between September 2021 and February 2022, and SPSS was used for data analysis. Demographics were collected from hospital records.

Results: Thirty-five surveys were returned. The cohort had a median age of 82 years, and the most common primary diagnosis was renal failure. Participants rated telemedicine as easier to access than face-to-face appointments due to convenience. Telemedicine was rated highly for future utility, with video consultations being perceived as more useful than telephone consultations. Participants responded overwhelmingly well towards the clinic.

Discussion: Findings demonstrated high levels of satisfaction with the Supportive Care Clinic model and for telemedicine. However, logistical challenges and the desire for face-to-face appointments were also identified. The study highlights the importance of offering a range of modalities for patient engagement in healthcare services and suggests that telemedicine should complement, rather than replace, face-to-face consultations. Future investigations should explore patient and caregiver sentiment towards telemedicine platforms alongside patient deterioration.