Digital technology can better assist nurses to manage end of life care in residential aged care facilities but ensuring its impact requires better tools, training, and ongoing support, a new study has found.
The results call for nurses to be included when digital innovations are in development, so they can actively shape their implementation and ensure high-quality, compassionate care for residents in their final stages of life.
"In Australia and around the world, we have seen a significant increase in digital technologies in the healthcare sector," says study lead author Dr Priyanka Vandersman, a Senior Research Fellow at Flinders University's Research Centre for Palliative Care, Death and Dying (RePaDD).
"In aged care, these digital approaches can include helping with care planning and assisting with managing medications, but we need to ensure that nurses are equipped with the digital skills needed to use these tools effectively, while continuing to provide high quality, person-centred care."
Published in the journal BMC Nursing, Dr Vandersman and co-author Professor Jennifer Tieman, interviewed nursing staff in 15 residential aged care facilities across three Australian states.
The research found nurses are already engaging with a variety of digital tools, such as medication management portals and telehealth platforms, with the technology valued for improving efficiency and accessibility in care delivery. However, many nurses reported that the systems they use are fragmented, requiring them to navigate multiple platforms for different tasks, increasing administrative burdens and detracting from time spent on hands-on care.
"Nurses working in aged care need to share their expertise and knowledge about care needs and processes to ensure that the systems being designed are fit for purpose," says Professor Tieman, Director of RePaDD.
Challenges such as unreliable infrastructure, insufficient training, and time-consuming processes, highlighted a need for greater support in using technology effectively and ongoing education to ensure they can confidently integrate digital tools into their practice.
"With more than a third of Australian deaths occurring in residential aged care facilities, it is critical we understand how technology can assist in end-of-life care," says Dr Vandersman.
Professor Tieman added that "With the digital reform agenda and the implementation of the new aged care standards, technology has a very important role to play, offering structured and accessible care solutions.
"However, its success depends on thoughtful implementation that supports, rather than replaces, the human connection central to compassionate caregiving."
Nurses envision innovative tools, including dashboards for tracking care processes, automated medication management systems, and telehealth enhancements, as critical to improving palliative care outcome.
These advancements could streamline workflows, reduce errors, and enable nurses to focus more on interpersonal care.
"Nurses, those on the ground, working directly with residents and their families should be actively involved in shaping the future of digital innovations in aged care," says Dr Vandersman.
"By developing intuitive digital solutions and providing nurses with the right support and education, we can ensure technology complements compassionate caregiving, enhancing residents' choice, dignity and quality of life in their final stages."
The paper ''Technology in end-of-life care is very important': the view of nurses regarding technology and end-of-life care' by Priyanka Vandersman and Jennifer Tieman is published in the journal BMC Nursing. DOI: 10.1186/s12912-024-02475-x. The End of Life Direction for Aged Care (ELDAC) Project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
