Amara Nwosu

MBCHB FRCP PhD


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Digital health priorities for palliative care research

We have deposited our paper “Technology in Palliative Care (TIP): the identification of digital priorities for palliative care research using a modified Delphi method” on the medRxiv preprint server (ahead for formal peer reviewed publication)

The aim of this study was to identify research priority areas for digital health in palliative care.

This is first study to identify digital health research priorities for palliative care and provides guidance for researchers, funders and policy makers to consider areas for future research and development. 

We identified 16 research priority areas for technology in palliative care, representing 8 themes of big data, mobile devices, telehealth, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, the smart home, biotechnology and digital legacy.  Our findings will support researchers, clinicians and policy makers to improve the evidence base in these areas, through further research and development. This work is timely and important, as global palliative care need is increasing but there is a lack of evidence of how digital health can be meaningfully used to support care needs of people with advanced illness.  Therefore, it is important that the risks of using these technologies in palliative care are properly addressed to ensure that these tools are used meaningfully, wisely and safely and do not cause unintentional harm

The pre-print is freely available from the following link. Please note, that this has not been peer reviewed so should not yet be used to guide clinical practice.

Nwosu AC, McGlinchey T, Sanders J, Stanley S, Palfrey J, Lubbers P, Chapman L, Finucane A, Mason S. Technology in Palliative Care (TIP): the identification of digital priorities for palliative care research using a modified Delphi method. Medrxiv 2021. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.24.21259307

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How can technology be used to support communication in palliative care beyond the COVID19 pandemic?

Can we use technology better to support communication in palliative care?

  • We are looking for palliative care healthcare professionals to share their experience of using technology to communicate during the COVID19 pandemic.
  • The study is funded by Marie Curie is led by Sarah Stanley (research nurse at Marie Curie Liverpool Hospice). The study has ethical approval and is sponsored by Lancaster University.
  • We are seeking the opinions of Palliative Care healthcare professionals who have worked in the UK during the COVID19 pandemic. 
  • This a short electronic survey (takes roughly 10 -15 minutes to complete) can be completed from a smartphone, laptop or desktop computer.
  • We will identify how technology have been used in palliative care, been used to support communication during the COVID19 pandemic. 
  • We will use the outcomes of this work to inform policy, to identify how technologies can be used to improve palliative access beyond the COVID19 pandemic.

  All the participant information, consent form and survey can be assessed from the link below.

Click here to access the survey

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Evaluating the use of video communication technology in a hospital specialist palliative care team during the COVID-19 pandemic

Healthcare professionals’ use of video communication technology has increased during the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, due to infection control restrictions. Currently there is little published data about the experiences of specialist palliative care teams who are using technology to communicate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this evaluation (published in AMRC Open Research) was to describe the experience of a UK based hospital specialist palliative care team, who were using video communication technology to support care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Video communication technology has the potential to improve specialist palliative care delivery; however, it is essential that healthcare organisations address the existing barriers to using this technology, to ensure that these systems work meaningfully to improve palliative care for those who are most vulnerable beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

More information can be found here:

Crosby B, Hanchanale S, Stanley S and Nwosu AC. Evaluating the use of video communication technology in a hospital specialist palliative care team during the COVID-19 pandemic [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]. AMRC Open Res 2021, 3:5 (https://doi.org/10.12688/amrcopenres.12969.1)

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Improving Palliative Care Through Digital Health Technology

I’m delighted to write a geust blog for BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care about how palliative care care be improved through use of digital health technology. I also reflect on how this presents an opportunity to learn from the COVID19 pandemic. Specifically, I reference an article by Clabburn and colleagues, which describes the novel use of ‘Ivy Street’, a Virtual Learning Environment to support palliative and end of life care education. 

Read my guest blog here:


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MyPal podcast episode 7: Is there too much technology in healthcare?

In this episode of MyPal Dr Amara Nwosu discusses a recent article from the BMJ by Bjorn Morten Hofmann, University College of Gjovik which poses the question of whether there is too much technology in healthcare.

Too much Technology by Bjørn Morten Hofmann – BMJ 21/02/2015 (subscription required to access link)
http://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h705

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Copyright Dr Amara Nwosu, KingAmi media 2014. http://www.amaranwosu.com

Music by ‘Year of the Fiery Horse’ (YOTFH). Soundcloud link: https://soundcloud.com/year-of-the-fiery-horse