Cancer Patients’ Experiences with Telehealth before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in British Columbia

Bibliographic Details
Title: Cancer Patients’ Experiences with Telehealth before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in British Columbia
Authors: Sara Izadi-Najafabadi, Lisa McQuarrie, Stuart Peacock, Ross Halperin, Leah Lambert, Craig Mitton, Helen McTaggart-Cowan
Source: Current Oncology, Vol 29, Iss 6, Pp 4199-4211 (2022)
Publisher Information: MDPI AG, 2022.
Publication Year: 2022
Collection: LCC:Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens
Subject Terms: cancer, COVID-19 pandemic, patient-reported experiences, telehealth, Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens, RC254-282
More Details: Background: Patients have had their cancer care either postponed or changed to telehealth visits to reduce exposure to COVID-19. However, it is unclear how these changes may have affected their experiences. We aim to identify patient characteristics that affect telehealth experiences and evaluate their preferences for using telehealth in the future. Methods: Patients who completed the Outpatient Cancer Care (OCC) Patient Experience Survey were invited to participate. They comepleted the modified OCC Survey, which focused on telehealth during the pandemic. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to identify patient characteristics that influenced telehealth experiences and preferences for future telehealth use. Results: Perceived ease of participation in telehealth is a significant predictor of the change in patients’ ratings of their telehealth experience. We found that cancer patients had lower preferences for using telehealth in the future if they were older, female, or non-white; resided in an urban area; had no previous telehealth experience; had lower education; and had poorer mental health. Conclusions: To optimize cancer care and improve equitable access to high-quality telehealth care during the pandemic and beyond, clinicians and policymakers will need to consider patients’ self-reported experiences and their personal characteristics.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1718-7729
1198-0052
Relation: https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/29/6/335; https://doaj.org/toc/1198-0052; https://doaj.org/toc/1718-7729
DOI: 10.3390/curroncol29060335
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/74dc2f63f0d8401c8fe6e295396feee1
Accession Number: edsdoj.74dc2f63f0d8401c8fe6e295396feee1
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
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More Details
ISSN:17187729
11980052
DOI:10.3390/curroncol29060335
Published in:Current Oncology
Language:English