Patient and Provider‐Reported Satisfaction of Cancer Rehabilitation Telemedicine Visits During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has accelerated the growth of telemedicine services across the United States. In this study, we examined cancer rehabilitation patient and physician satisfaction with telemedicine visits. We also sought to evaluate the types of provider services that are given during telemedicine visits. Objective To assess overall patient and provider satisfaction with telemedicine visits and explore whether satisfaction varied by contact method (phone or video) and encounter type (new problem, worsening problem, stable/improving problem). Design Prospective survey study. Setting Cancer rehabilitation program at an academic medical center. Participants Three cancer rehabilitation providers and 155 unique patients participated in the study. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Provider and patient satisfaction measured by customized surveys. Results One hundred eighty‐four encounters with 169 unique patients were scheduled. Of these, 14 were new visits and 170 were follow‐up visits. Eighteen encounters (9.8%) were either no shows or rescheduled, making for 166 encounters with 155 unique patients. Patient and provider responses comprised the following: 94.8% of patient responses reported “quite a bit” or “very much” for the telemedicine visit being a good experience; 63.1% of patient responses reported “quite a bit” or “very much” for interest in using telemedicine visits in the future; and 83.9% of provider responses reported “quite a bit” or “very much” for the patient's main problem being addressed by the visit. Providers were more likely to prefer an in‐person visit for a new or worsening problem versus a stable/improving problem. The most common services provided were medication prescription/titration and education/counseling. The least common services provided were making of new diagnoses, ordering interventional procedures, and making referrals. Conclusion Telemedicine visits were well received by both patients and providers in a cancer rehabilitation medicine clinic setting. However, in the case of a new or worsening problem, satisfaction declined. These data support that telemedicine visits should be considered essential as part of comprehensive cancer rehabilitation care, especially during a public health crisis.

Cancer Provider and Survivor Experiences With Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Another study of cancer rehabilitation found that telemedicine was generally viewed favorably, but that new or worsening problems were not as suitable to telemedicine according to patients or providers. 11 Among the general public, a survey by the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition of n 5 2,007 patients who had a telehealth visit showed high satisfaction, in contrast to our study findings. 24 A majority of those responding to the Healthcare Coalition survey reported that telehealth maintained the patient-physician relationship, preserved continuity of care, removed barriers to accessing care, and reported high visit quality.…”

“…1,[11][12][13] Still, many patients both before and during the pandemic reported high satisfaction with telehealth visits, suggesting a potential role for virtual visits even after pandemic conditions relax. 11,13 Other studies have started to outline how cancer care might be redefined postpandemic to better serve both patients and providers. 14,15 Given the emerging literature on experiences with telehealth and preferences for future care, we set out to understand both provider and cancer survivor experiences with telehealth and to solicit feedback on how to maximize the contributions of telehealth services that can improve quality of cancer care during and after the pandemic.…”

Telehealth utilization during the Covid-19 pandemic: A systematic review

“…Furthermore, the ability of the participants was improved by the system’s repetitive balance exercises to acquire confidence and motor skills in postural control, which could improve daily task performance. Authors in [ 92 ] assessed patients and providers’ satisfaction of cancer tele-rehabilitation visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cancer rehabilitation program was developed at an academic medical centre.…”

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perceived access to health care and preferences for health care provision in individuals (being) treated for breast cancer

“…Other studies also showed overall good patients’ acceptance regarding the implementation and use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, among others, for reasons, such as travel time, travel expense, and convenience [ 23 , 26 ]. Especially cancer patients receiving active treatment seem to have adjusted quickly to the use of telehealth considering their overall satisfaction about their telehealth consultations [ 27 – 30 ]. An American study by Darcourt et al found that 92.6% of all cancer patients ( n = 1762) were satisfied with their telehealth consultations [ 31 ].…”