On the 3rd of March, the Redemptorist family celebrated a joyful moment as Fr. Prince Augustin, C.Ss.R., from the Province of Liguori (India), successfully defended his doctoral thesis at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome. With this achievement, he was awarded the Ph.D. in Social Communications.
His doctoral thesis was titled: “The Role of Smartphones in Enhancing Palliative Care in Kerala: A Research Based on the Communication Theory of Sherry Turkle.” The research explored an important change in how palliative care is understood today. In the past, palliative care was often seen mainly as care for people at the end of life. Today, as the World Health Organisation explains, palliative care has a much wider meaning. It supports people who are seriously ill or home-bound, regardless of their age or medical diagnosis.
Fr. Prince’s study examined how smartphone technology is transforming communication in palliative care in the Indian state of Kerala. Using the ideas of Sherry Turkle, who studies how technology shapes human relationships, the research looked carefully at both the benefits and the challenges of using smartphones in healthcare.
The doctoral dissertation showed that smartphones can play a very important role in palliative care. Through messaging, calls and digital communication, patients, family members, volunteers and healthcare professionals can stay closely connected. This allows for quick sharing of information, emotional reassurance and better coordination of care, especially when patients are being treated at home.
Kerala is widely known for its strong community-based palliative care system, and this made it an ideal place for the study. Fr Prince demonstrated that smartphones are not simply technical devices. When used responsibly, they can become bridges of communication that support empathy, cooperation, and patient-centred care.
The panel of moderators Prof. Peter Gonsalves, SDB, Prof. Maria Paola Piccini and Prof. Alessandro Agostinelli praised the dissertation for its interdisciplinary depth, bringing together communication theory, digital media studies, and healthcare practice. They also commended Fr. Prince’s extensive research process, which lasted four years. During this period, he travelled nearly 4,000 kilometres, working with 14 palliative care institutions across Kerala. His fieldwork included direct interaction with patients, caregivers, volunteers and healthcare professionals.
This achievement marks not only a personal academic milestone for Fr. Prince, but also an important contribution to the Congregation’s engagement with digital culture and its mission of compassionate care for the suffering.
As a newly qualified doctor in communications, Dr. Fr. Prince Augustin C.Ss.R. looks forward to continuing his service by contributing to the Redemptorist palliative care ministry, using communication and technology to bring comfort, connection and dignity to those who need it most.
Scala News
