Assessing patient and caregiver satisfaction with outpatient palliative care telemedicine service at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan

Background and Objectives: Telemedicine is a valuable tool for improving access to palliative care (PC) for patients with serious illness, particularly in settings with limited trained professionals and specialized services. However, its effectiveness in PC remains under-evaluated, highlighting the need for further research. This study aimed to assess patient and caregiver satisfaction with the telemedicine appointment system and palliative care team (PCT) during virtual outpatient PC consultations. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted among participants (patients and caregivers) recruited through convenience sampling who attended adult PC telemedicine clinics between February 2020-March 2022 at a Oncology department of a tertiary care hospital. Patient satisfaction was measured using a self-designed, structured, and pretested questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was performed on all database entries. Results: A total of 130 patients participated, with a mean age of 63.2±12.7 years, 47% were male, and 53% were female. There were 58% initial visits and 41% follow-ups. 94% of participants agreed with healthcare access, 92% with quality of care, 92% with patient-physician interaction, 77% with convenience, 91% wanted to continue teleconsultation, and 88% found it cost-effective. Besides this, 46% of participants expressed concerns about a potential privacy breach. Conclusion: Telemedicine is an innovative approach. Participants find it accessible, cost-effective, convenient and of good quality. In future, it should be promoted as an effective patient care modality to address enormous unmet needs of patients with functional frailty or living in remote areas.