The Role of Telemedicine in Providing Thoracic Oncology Care to Remote Areas of British Columbia

Humer, Michael; Campling, Barbara G.

doi:10.1007/s11912-017-0612-7

Cited by 17 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Interestingly, patients in both groups felt that physical examination was not important for their consultation, which is in contrast to other studies where a lack of physical examination was cited as a concern among patients [17]. Humer et al [31] pointed out that the patient perceived the importance of physical examination may be overstated. An interesting perspective on physical examination is that it has become a ritual done to satisfy the basic needs of patients to feel cared for and for physicians to feel like their work is meaningful [32].…”

Section: Principal Findingscontrasting

confidence: 59%

Use of Teleconsultations in a Regional Stereotactic Radiosurgery Service: Pilot Study

O’Cathail¹,

Aznar-Garcia²,

Sivanandan³

et al. 2021

JMIR Form Res

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Background The National Health Service Long Term Plan details plans to make digital interactions available to all patients in 5 years. Teleconsultations can improve access to specialist services; however, there is a lack of evidence for the use of teleconsultations in an oncology setting in the United Kingdom. Objective We aim to describe a service evaluation of teleconsultations for patients attending a regional brain metastases clinic. These patients have unique travel restrictions that prevent them from driving. Methods From April to October 2018, all patients attending the brain metastases clinic were offered the choice of teleconsultation in place of a face-to-face appointment. Feedback was assessed using a satisfaction questionnaire, and data of all clinic attendances were collected. Results A total of 69 individual patients had 119 appointments over the duration of the pilot, of which 36 (30.2%) were new patient appointments and 73 (61.3%) were follow-ups. Of the 69 patients, 24 (35%) took part in teleconsultations (41/119, 34.5%). User satisfaction was high, and no patients who took part in a teleconsultation reverted to face-to-face appointments. These patients avoided 2521 miles (61.6 miles per appointment) of hospital-associated travel and travel costs of £441.48 (US $599.83) to £10.78 (US $14.65) per appointment. Conclusions Teleconsultations appear to be acceptable in this cohort of patients with brain metastases attending a regional stereotactic radiosurgery service with the potential for significant savings in travel and expenses.

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Section: Principal Findingscontrasting

confidence: 59%

Use of Teleconsultations in a Regional Stereotactic Radiosurgery Service: Pilot Study

O’Cathail¹,

Aznar-Garcia²,

Sivanandan³

et al. 2021

JMIR Form Res

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“…A valuable purpose of telehealth may be to support patients who are living remotely or can remain in their own home with additional care supports, and telehealth has been shown to reduce travel time and costs for patients in these settings for other conditions. 22 Only one study in our review measured patient satisfaction with telehealth 13 and reported high levels of satisfaction. Evaluations of telehealth in other fields have reported an equal level of overall satisfaction between telehealth and traditional care and further reported greater satisfaction for telehealth in the domains of convenience and accessibility, suggesting that some, but not all, aspects of patient experience could be enhanced through telehealth.…”

Section: Commentary On Findings: Implications and Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Impact of Telehealth Interventions on Processes and Quality of Care for Patients With ESRD

Lunney

Lee

Tang

et al. 2018

American Journal of Kidney Diseases

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Caring for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis is intensive and expensive. Telehealth may improve the access and efficiency of ESRD care. For this perspective, we systematically reviewed studies that examined the effectiveness of telehealth versus or in addition to usual care for ESRD management. 10 studies were identified, including 7 randomized trials and 3 cohort studies. Study populations, modes of delivery (including telephone, telemetry, or videoconferencing), and the outcomes evaluated varied substantially between studies. Two studies examined telehealth interventions versus standard ESRD care and demonstrated mixed results on processes of care, no differences in laboratory surrogate markers of ESRD care, and reduced or similar rates of hospitalization. Eight studies evaluated the addition of telehealth to usual care and demonstrated no significant improvements in processes of care or surrogate laboratory measures, variable impacts on hospitalization rates, and mixed impacts on some domains of quality of life, including improvement in mental health. Although potential benefits of telehealth in ESRD care have been reported, optimal designs for delivery and elements of care that may be improved through telehealth remain uncertain.

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“…The telemedicine platform provides virtual communication, bridging health services and medical care disparities among select patient populations. The use of telemedicine has expanded in the practice of family medicine [1,2] and primary care [3] and has been accredited with favorable results concerning patients' preferences [4][5][6] and costeffectiveness [7,8]. Among health care centers worldwide, telemedicine may refer to telephone, computer-based audio encounters, mobile phone video applications, and remote symptom and vitals reporting transmitting health care information to the treating physician.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid Implementation of Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives and Preferences of Patients with Cancer

et al. 2021

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Introduction The use of telemedicine in oncology practice is rapidly expanding and is considered safe and cost effective. However, the implications of telemedicine on patient‐physician interaction, patient satisfaction, and absence of the personal touch have not been studied to date. Following the spread of COVID‐19, telemedicine services were rapidly incorporated at the Oncology Division of Tel Aviv Medical Center. We aimed to evaluate patients' perspectives and preferences regarding telemedicine and to assess whether this virtual communication platform affects the patient‐physician relationship. Methods Between March 2020 and May 2020, adult cancer patients who conducted at least one successful telemedicine meeting were interviewed by trained medical personnel. The interview was based on validated patient satisfaction questionnaires and focused on patient‐physician interaction in relation to the last in‐patient visit. Results Of 236 patients, 172 (74%) patients agreed to participate. The study population comprised mainly patients with gastrointestinal malignancies ( n = 79, 46%) with a median age of 63 years (range 21–88). The majority of patients were male ( n = 93, 54%). Eighty‐nine (51.7%) patients were receiving active oncologic treatment, and 58 (33.7%) were under routine surveillance following completion of active therapy. Almost all had a sense of secured privacy ( n = 171, 96%), the majority of patients affirmed that their concerns were met ( n = 166, 93%) and perceived that eye contact with the treating physician was perceived ( n = 156, 87%). Only a minority felt that the absence of physical clinic visits harmed their treatment ( n = 36, 20%). Most patients ( n = 146, 84.9%) wished to continue telemedicine services. A multivariate analysis revealed that higher satisfaction and visits for routine surveillance were both predictors of willingness to continue future telemedicine meetings over physical encounters (odds ratio [OR] = 2.41, p = .01; OR = 3.34, p = .03, respectively). Conclusion Telemedicine is perceived as safe and effective, and patients did not feel that it compromised medical care or the patient‐physician relationship. Integration of telemedicine is ideal for patients under surveillance after completion of active oncologic treatment. Physician communication skills workshops are warranted with implementing this platform. Implications for Practice During the COVID‐19 pandemic, telemedicine was rapidly implemented worldwide to facilitate continuity of quality care and treatment. Despite many potential setbacks, telemedicine has become a useful and safe tool for oncology practitioners to care for their pa...

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The Role of Telemedicine in Providing Thoracic Oncology Care to Remote Areas of British Columbia

Cited by 17 publications

References 22 publications

Use of Teleconsultations in a Regional Stereotactic Radiosurgery Service: Pilot Study

Use of Teleconsultations in a Regional Stereotactic Radiosurgery Service: Pilot Study

Impact of Telehealth Interventions on Processes and Quality of Care for Patients With ESRD

Rapid Implementation of Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives and Preferences of Patients with Cancer

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