Exploring the role of telenursing in meeting the needs of palliative care patients and symptom outcomes

BACKGROUND: Palliative care aims to improve quality of life for patients and families facing serious illness, yet access is often limited by workforce shortages, geographic barriers and patient preferences. Telenursing may address these challenges by enhancing access to care, symptom management, and support for patients and caregivers. AIM: Guided by the Donabedian model, this study evaluated a customer relationship management-enabled telenursing intervention in a Saudi tertiary hospital by describing users and care delivery patterns, assessing changes in symptom severity, and exploring the relationship between medication interventions and symptom improvement. METHODS: A single-group pre-post design was used to assess changes in symptom severity following the intervention. This real-world approach was appropriate for end-of-life care settings where randomisation and control groups are difficult to implement; findings are therefore exploratory. RESULTS: Telenursing may improve symptom management and care coordination in palliative care, particularly for pain, insomnia and constipation. CONCLUSIONS: Structured remote symptom assessment can help identify unmet needs and support responsive care, although controlled multi-centre studies are needed to confirm effectiveness and sustainability.