Patients receiving palliative and end-of-life care in the community now have access to a new Comfort Tracker app designed to help them feel more supported and better connected to their care team while at home.
The app was developed by a team of clinicians working across community and acute care: Dr Suzanne Ford-Dunn, Palliative Care Consultant at University Hospitals Sussex; Lisa O’Hara, Nurse Consultant Palliative and End of Life Care, Sussex Community Foundation Trust; and Dr Rachel Melsom, Macmillan Palliative and End of Life Care Transformation Lead, Sussex.
Dr Suzanne Ford-Dunn was awarded a Digital Fellowship earlier this year to help develop the app. She said: “We know that most people want to be at home at the end of life, but many still experience unmanaged symptoms or unplanned hospital admissions. This app helps us respond more quickly and provide reassurance to patients and carers when they need it most.”
The app allows patients and carers to log symptoms from home, which are then reviewed by community nurses on a central dashboard. If symptoms are severe, nurses can contact the patient urgently to offer support or arrange a home visit.
The app also offers guidance on managing symptoms, links to trusted resources, and a sense of connection for patients who may otherwise feel isolated.
The pilot is running for an initial six months, with plans to grow into a fully funded research study. It was developed in collaboration with Healthwatch, Macmillan, University Hospitals Sussex and Sussex Community NHS Trust and is hosted on the Doccla Virtual Health Platform. The Comfort Tracker app supports remote monitoring for patients, carers and community teams.
This initiative is aligned with the Trust’s five-year Research and Innovation Strategy and the new Sussex wide research strategy, which aims to enhance patient care, address local health and priorities, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.