# A demonstration project: Assessing the significance and impact of utilizing a novel telemedicine application in the delivery of community based palliative care in a rural seriously ill population.

> **NIH AHRQ R21** · FOUR SEASONS HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE · 2020 · $150,000

## Abstract

Project Abstract
Community-based palliative care is an important specialty that is needed to help address the gaps in caring for
people with serious illnesses. Geographic barriers and the shortage of palliative care providers result in patients
lacking access to palliative care in rural areas. A potential solution to provide better care to these patients is
through telemedicine. However, current telemedicine programs are unable to address all aspects related to
caring for people with serious illness, multiple morbid conditions (multi-morbidity), and polypharmacy.
Therefore, the objective of this study is to test the feasibility, acceptability, and usability of a novel telemedicine
application which incorporates a virtual pharmacist, in the delivery of patient-centered palliative care in a rural
population in Western North Carolina. This telemedicine application, Adapt, will include the following
components: (1) virtual pharmacist; (2) remote patient monitoring (symptoms, medications, vital signs, photo
uploads); (3) messaging between patients/caregivers and providers/pharmacists; (4) videoconferencing with
patients, caregivers, family members, and/or providers/pharmacists; and (5) provider clinical dashboard
monitoring. Using this application, the following three aims/hypothesis are proposed:
Specific Aim #1 will evaluate the feasibility, usability, and acceptability, of a virtual pharmacist to providers and
patients in a palliative care telemedicine model. Patient and provider acceptance and satisfaction with the
application will be measured using validated surveys. Specific Aim #2 will identify the common drug-drug
interactions by a virtual pharmacist in a palliative care population. Specific Aim #3 will then evaluate a virtual
pharmacist’s recommendations for medication management. Lastly, exploratory Specific Aim #4 will examine
the effects of virtual pharmacy consultations on patient-reported outcomes using validated surveys.
This application has the potential to address the multifaceted problems involved in caring for an increasingly
aging population with serious illness and multi-morbidity that is often associated with a high prevalence of
polypharmacy. This study will provide critical information about the feasibility, acceptability, and usability of
the application that will inform a future clinical effectiveness trial.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10016290
- **Project number:** 5R21HS026565-02
- **Recipient organization:** FOUR SEASONS HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE
- **Principal Investigator:** Janet H Bull
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** AHRQ
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $150,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2021-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10016290

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10016290, A demonstration project: Assessing the significance and impact of utilizing a novel telemedicine application in the delivery of community based palliative care in a rural seriously ill population. (5R21HS026565-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10016290. Licensed CC0.

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