Feasibility of a digital palliative care intervention (Convoy-Pal) for older adults with heart failure and multiple chronic conditions and their caregivers: a waitlist randomized control trial

Feasibility of a digital palliative care intervention (Convoy-Pal) for older adults with heart failure and multiple chronic conditions and their caregivers: a waitlist randomized control trial
BMC Palliative Care; by Lyndsay DeGroot, Riley Gillette, Jennifer Paola Villalobos, Geoffrey Harger, Dylan Thomas Doyle, Sheana Bull, David B Bekelman, Rebecca Boxer, Jean S Kutner, Jennifer D Portz; 10/24
Although older adults with heart failure (HF) and multiple chronic conditions (MCC) frequently rely on caregivers for health management, digital health systems, such as patient portals and mobile apps, are designed for individual patients and often exclude caregivers. There is a need to develop approaches that integrate caregivers into care. This study tested the feasibility of the Social Convoy Palliative Care intervention (Convoy-Pal), a 12-week digital self-management program that includes assessment tools and resources for clinical palliative care, designed for both patients and their caregivers. Recruiting informal caregivers proved challenging. Nonetheless, Convoy-Pal retained patients and collected meaningful self-reported outcomes, showing potential benefits for both patients and caregivers. Given the importance of a patient and caregiver approach in palliative care, further research is needed to design digital tools that cater to multiple simultaneous users.