The role of telehealth in oncology care: A qualitative exploration of patient and clinician perspectives
Eri Aung
Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorLeeanne Pasanen
St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorRoslyn LeGautier
Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorSue-Anne McLachlan
Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorAnna Collins
Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Jennifer Philip
Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Correspondence
Jennifer Philip, Department of Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Victoria Pde, Fitzroy 3065, VIC, Australia.
Email: [email protected].
Search for more papers by this authorEri Aung
Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorLeeanne Pasanen
St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorRoslyn LeGautier
Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorSue-Anne McLachlan
Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorAnna Collins
Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Jennifer Philip
Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Correspondence
Jennifer Philip, Department of Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Victoria Pde, Fitzroy 3065, VIC, Australia.
Email: [email protected].
Search for more papers by this authorFunding information: Joyce Katherine Granger Fund, St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne.
Abstract
Objective
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rapid expansion of telehealth, affording opportunities to study its impact on oncology care. Our qualitative study explored physician and patient perspectives of telehealth in cancer care.
Methods
Semistructured interviews were conducted with seven physicians and eleven patients, recruited from an Australian hospital oncology department. Two authors independently coded the transcripts with emerging themes identified and refined iteratively in a thematic analysis.
Results
Telehealth offered broadened possibilities by allowing continuity of care in the pandemic and revealing advantages of convenience in consultations. It also highlighted core elements of in-person care that were unavailable. These included the information communicated through formal and informal physical examination, the collaboration between patient and physician in shaping outcomes and building rapport and the confidence in decisions made and physician performance. While patients and physicians envisioned the continuation of telehealth postpandemic, logistical steps are necessary to address these challenges.
Conclusion
This study highlights the unprecedented opportunities that telehealth presents in widening access to oncology care and simultaneously reveals that it cannot always reach equivalence in quality of care. Further research is required to identify when and for whom telehealth is most acceptable as future care models are considered.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare in relation to this work.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
Data are available on request due to privacy/ethical restrictions.
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