A scoping review of the application of telemedicine in home-based palliative care patients: insights for healthcare systems with emphasis on the Chinese context.

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a scoping review on the fundamental aspects, application effectiveness, and existing problems of telemedicine in home-based palliative care (HBPC) patients, with the aim of providing evidence-based insights for future practice and research, particularly for healthcare systems such as China's that are in the developmental stages of HBPC.

METHODS

Relevant studies were systematically retrieved from databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, ScienceDirect, CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, and CBM from their inception to February 2, 2026.using a comprehensive set of keywords related to telemedicine, home-based care, and palliative care. Included studies were summarized and analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 18 studies were included. Telemedicine applications in HBPC are diverse, encompassing forms such as applications and video conferencing. Their core content covers six key elements, including symptom management and psychological support. Telemedicine demonstrated positive effects in improving patients' symptom burden, quality of life, and optimizing healthcare resource utilization.

CONCLUSION

Telemedicine, as a feasible, effective, and cost-efficient supplementary model for HBPC, shows great potential. For contexts like China, Future efforts should focus on conducting high-quality research, improving policy support and talent cultivation, and enhancing cultural adaptability to promote its standardized development and large-scale application.