Telemedicine Perspectives from Cancer Patients
What are their satisfaction rates when it comes to telemedicine visits?
There is no denying the fact that the amount of time and cost burdens being put on patients, healthcare professionals, and systems has resulted in an effort to enhance the concepts of accessibility and value. One prime example is the advancement of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic—despite its promise, there is a bit of uncertainty concerning its effectiveness, as reimbursement policies make the future of telemedicine unknown.
Pre-pandemic, when it came to cancer care, telemedicine was used in less than 1% of all Medicare outpatient meetings, often being used in very specific situations such as for genetic counseling, care in rural communities, and for survivorship.1,2 Comparing that to COVID era, particularly Q2 2020, 47% of all Medicare users had at least one telemedicine service, while this amount was only 7% in Q1 2020.3
Being that satisfaction since the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic remains essentially unexplored at this point, a survey study published in JAMA Network Open1 sought to determine if in fact cancer patients are satisfied with telemedicine.
Between May 2020 to October 2023, investigators surveyed first-time telemedicine users at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center. Patients received a survey in English; they were required to sign up for the MSK patient portal and have at least one prior in-person visit with an MSK clinician in order to participate.
The questionnaire itself consisted of 20 questions in total: 10 structured questions were related to telemedicine experience, while the remaining 10 questions were based on clinical trial education and informed consent.
After the data were analyzed between January and June 2024, the authors determined that a total of 27,435 telemedicine users completed surveys (median [IQR] age, 65 [55-72] years; 15, 072 female [54.9%]; 12,363 male [45.1%]; 1,771 Asian [6.7%], 1,339 Black [5.1%], 22,742 White [85.9%]). Also, 18,025 of 24,418 patients (73.8%) rated their first telemedicine visit as either good as or better than an in-person visit, while 4,606 (18.9%) rated it superior to an in-person visit. The share of patients rating a telemedicine visit superior to an in-person visit increased from 17% in 2020 to 20% in 2023. The 10 structured questions discovered a positive view of telemedicine, while free-text analyses discussed tech issues.
Overall, the investigators concluded that, “ … patient satisfaction with telemedicine in cancer care delivery remained high after the COVID-19 pandemic. It is therefore important to support telemedicine at individual, institution, state, and federal levels, and identify best practices for those patients who benefit most from it. By employing novel methods like BERTopic modeling to scrutinize patient feedback in detail, healthcare professionals can pinpoint the most valued aspects of telemedicine and areas needing enhancement, leading to more user-friendly services that align closely with patient needs.
“Furthermore, the pandemic demonstrated telemedicine’s capacity to maintain continuity of care during disruptions. Ongoing monitoring and enhancement of patient satisfaction can sustain and expand telemedicine use, making healthcare more accessible and efficient. For patients with cancer, effective telemedicine can offer significant benefits by decreasing in-person visits, reducing exposure to infections, and improving treatment adherence. Ongoing research ensures that the future role of telemedicine is evidence-based, capturing patient experiences and satisfaction, including in the post-pandemic era.
References
1. Doshi SD, Charvadeh YK, Seier K, et al. Perspectives on Telemedicine Visits Reported by Patients With Cancer. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(11):e2445363. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.45363
2. Patel SY, Mehrotra A, Huskamp HA, Uscher-Pines L, Ganguli I, Barnett ML. Trends in outpatient care delivery and telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US.JAMA Intern Med. 2021;181(3):388-391. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.5928
3. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare Telehealth Trends Report. Published online March 21, 2024. Accessed May 24, 2024. https://data.cms.gov/summary-statistics-on-use-and-payments/medicare-service-type-reports/medicare-telehealth-trends
