IOT-integrated home-based palliative care monitoring systemfor continuous nursing support and family caregiver assistance

Abstract

Home-based palliative care has become an increasingly important model of healthcare for individuals living with life-limiting illnesses by promoting comfort, symptom control, dignity, and quality of life within the familiar home environment. However, the growing demand for continuous care, increasing complexity of chronic diseases, limited access to healthcare professionals, and the substantial responsibilities placed on family caregivers present significant challenges to delivering timely and effective palliative services. The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) with wearable biosensors, smart medical devices, cloud computing, mobile health applications, telehealth, and artificial intelligence (AI) has created new opportunities for continuous remote monitoring and personalised care management. IoT-integrated home-based palliative care monitoring systems enable real-time assessment of physiological parameters, symptom progression, medication adherence, physical activity, sleep quality, and patient-reported outcomes while facilitating secure communication between patients, nurses, physicians, and family caregivers. AI-driven analytical models support early identification of symptom deterioration, predict potential clinical complications, and provide evidence-based decision support to assist nursing interventions and multidisciplinary care planning. These intelligent systems also strengthen family caregiver assistance through digital education, medication reminders, emergency alerts, teleconsultation, and continuous professional guidance, thereby improving caregiver confidence and reducing care-related burden. The implementation of IoT technologies contributes to enhanced continuity of care, fewer unnecessary hospital admissions, improved symptom management, and greater patient comfort by enabling proactive rather than reactive clinical interventions. Although challenges related to data privacy, cybersecurity, interoperability, infrastructure, digital literacy, and ethical governance remain, ongoing technological advances are expected to improve the accessibility, reliability, and effectiveness of intelligent home monitoring systems. The integration of IoT-enabled monitoring with skilled nursing practice and family-centred care has the potential to transform home-based palliative care by supporting timely clinical decision-making, improving quality of life, strengthening caregiver support, and promoting safe, compassionate, and patient-centred healthcare.