Digital health technology in palliative care: Friend or foe?

There can be no doubt that we live in a digital world. In this 30th year since the conception of an online application we now know as the World Wide Web, the profound impact of technology on daily life over time is unequivocal. In a smartphone, we now hold in our hands reportedly more computing power than that used to land on the moon. In a digital age of global connectivity, photographs, videos, tweets and memes ‘go viral’ through social media and electronic mail. We have become increasingly reliant on mobile connectivity such that common parlance at palliative care conferences renders Wi-Fi access an essential adaptation to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. From different forms of audio-visual communication, live-streaming and the internet of things, to online banking and use of other digital devices whether desktop, hand-held, or wearable; innovative advances in technology have come to influence so many aspects of modern life.