Remote Symptom Monitoring to Enhance the Delivery of Palliative Cancer Care in Low-Resource Settings: Emerging Approaches from Africa

Abstract

This paper brings together researchers, clinicians, technology developers and digital innovators to outline current applications of remote symptom monitoring being developed for palliative cancer care delivery in Africa. We outline three remote symptom monitoring approaches from three countries, highlighting their models of delivery and intended outcomes, and draw on their experiences of implementation to guide further developments and evaluations of this approach for palliative cancer care in the region. Through highlighting these experiences and priority areas for future research, we hope to steer efforts to develop and optimise remote symptom monitoring for palliative cancer care in Africa.

Remote Palliative Care: A Systematic Review of Effectiveness, Accessibility, and Patient Satisfaction

“…This underscores the need for a person-centred approach that prioritizes individual needs and preferences, ensuring a more responsive and tailored care delivery model. Continuous availability of symptom evolution is crucial for timely identification and management of symptoms, alleviating patient burden [18]. Real-time monitoring enabled by smartwatches empowers seriously ill cancer patients and their caregivers to record painful events, facilitating rapid intervention and proactive symptom management [19], [20].…”