Extending the reach of palliative care–a double–edged sword: a qualitative study of clinicians’ experiences of delivering telehealth in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand

Our findings show that although the adoption of telehealth can extend the reach of palliative care, there is, at the same time, the potential to further marginalise those for whom palliative care is already inaccessible. Support and education for clinicians are needed to ensure safe and high-quality telehealth, as well as organisational guidelines and structures to optimise the use of telehealth. There is a need for further research using ethnographic, participatory as well as other qualitative and quantitative methods to identify approaches that optimise access to palliative care and telehealth for underserved groups. This should include the perspectives of patients and families themselves.