Patient perspectives of telemedicine in gynecologic oncology during COVID

Patient perspective on virtual prechemotherapy visits in gynecologic oncology

“…These factors create a gap between those who can effectively engage with technology and those who cannot—a phenomenon referred to as the “digital divide” ( Zhou et al, 2023 ). In gynecologic oncology, some studies report telemedicine is utilized by patients of all ages and across the social vulnerability spectrum, whereas others have found that older patients or those who worry about the inability to undergo a physical exam are less likely to accept a virtual visit ( Quam et al, 2022 , Nestlerode et al, 2022 , McAlarnen et al, 2021 ). In this study, visit type preference was not associated with factors such as age, previous exposure to telemedicine, familiarity with technology, or perceived value of a physical exam.…”

“…Previous studies have reported benefits of telemedicine including avoidance of infectious disease, reduced travel time, cost savings, and high patient and provider satisfaction ( Neeman et al, 2021 , Kraus et al, 2022 , Wong et al, 2022 , Mojdehbakhsh et al, 2022 , Zimmerman et al, 2020 ). Conversely, some studies have uncovered skepticism toward telemedicine due to limiting factors such as discomfort with technology and inability to perform physical exams ( Quam et al, 2022 , Nestlerode et al, 2022 ). There is limited literature assessing the gynecologic cancer patient experience with telemedicine for prechemotherapy evaluation.…”