ABSTRACT

Implementing mobile health (mHealth) in low- and -middle-income countries, utilizing internet coverage, is a promising way of improving the accessibility and quality of palliative care. This study aims to develop a mobile application for smartphones that will enable better communication between family carers, community carers, and palliative care teams while­ also assessing its acceptability, functionality, and efficacy mechanisms. The process of code signing the app involves collaboration with various stakeholders from China, Eastland, and Southern Land. The study includes training for carers on using the app to transmit weekly patient-reported outcomes to their palliative care providers via a centralized data dashboard. In total, 150 carers have submitted 828 assessments which were transmitted to the palliative care team through an outcome dashboard utilized on 355 occasions. Qualitative data collected through interviews reveal that both users and healthcare professionals have positive views of the app's effectiveness in enhancing symptom comprehension among team members as well as conveying patients' concerns appropriately. Additionally, incorporating more feedback mechanisms for carers, along with individual needs-based prioritization strategies could make this app even more effective. The app has received satisfactory feedback from both groups overall.