Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care

Dear Colleagues,

The global demand for palliative and end-of-life care continues to rise as populations age, with a concurrent increase in the burden of non-communicable—as well as some communicable—diseases. Access to palliative care is limited worldwide, with only a minority of those in need receiving timely access to palliative and end-of-life care, particularly in low-resource settings. This is due to factors such as financial pressures, underdeveloped infrastructure, geographical constraints (e.g., rural settings), and environmental factors. Access to effective palliative care is a critical component of universal health coverage and needs to be achieved in ways that mitigate, circumvent, or overcome such inhibiting factors.

Many people nearing the end of their lives face challenges related to life-threatening illnesses, including but not limited to their physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and communication needs. With the early integration of the person-centered approach to palliative care, the quality of life of patients and their families can be improved.

Innovative models of palliative care delivery continue to be developed globally to increase access to care for people with life-threatening illnesses. One approach, further catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic, is the use of digital health capabilities and technological innovation. If developed and implemented well, digitally enabled models of care could strengthen progress towards a more equitable state of universal health coverage. However, it is critical to ensure digitally enabled models of care are implemented optimally to meet the needs of service users, their caregivers, and their healthcare providers.

This Special Issue seeks to draw together much-needed evidence to guide the development of palliative care and end-of-life care services globally, particularly with a focus on the application of digital technologies.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in IJERPH.

Dr. Matthew Allsop
Guest Editor

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• palliative care
• end-of-life care
• digital technology
• health research
• user involvement
• global health