Virtual Oncology Appointments during the Initial Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An International Survey of Patient Perspectives
Open Access
- 22 January 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in Current Oncology
- Vol. 28 (1), 671-677
- https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol28010065
Abstract
There has been rapid implementation of virtual oncology appointments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in its first wave. Our objective was to assess patterns and perspectives towards virtual oncology appointments during the pandemic among patients with cancer undergoing active treatment. We conducted an international Internet-based cross-sectional survey. Participants were eligible if they (1) were ≥18 years of age; (2) had been diagnosed with cancer (3) were currently undergoing cancer treatment, and (4) spoke English or French. Between 23 April 2020 and 9 June 2020, 381 individuals accessed the survey, with 212 actively undergoing treatment for cancer, including 27% with colorectal, 21% with breast, 7% with prostate and 7% with lung cancer. A total of 52% of respondents were from Canada and 35% were from the United States. Many participants (129, 62%) indicated having had a virtual oncology appointment during the COVID-19 pandemic and most were satisfied with their experience (83%). We found older participants (≥50 years; adjusted OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.85 compared to 12 months) were less likely to be satisfied with virtual oncology appointments. Virtual health platforms used differed across countries with higher telephone use in Canada (87%) and other countries (86%) as compared to the United States (54%; p-value < 0.05), where there was higher use of video conferencing. Altogether, our findings demonstrate favorable patient perspectives towards virtual oncology appointments experienced during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.Keywords
This publication has 8 references indexed in Scilit:
- Cancer, COVID-19 and the precautionary principle: prioritizing treatment during a global pandemicNature Reviews Clinical Oncology, 2020
- Health information seeking behaviors among individuals with young-onset and average-onset colorectal cancer: an international cross-sectional surveySupportive Care in Cancer, 2020
- Virtual health care in the era of COVID-19The Lancet, 2020
- Impact of COVID-19 on Canadian medical oncologists and cancer care: Canadian Association of Medical Oncologists survey reportCurrent Oncology, 2020
- The Effect of Telehealth Interventions on Quality of Life of Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisTelemedicine and e-Health, 2018
- Exploring the digital technology preferences of teenagers and young adults (TYA) with cancer and survivors: a cross-sectional service evaluation questionnaireJournal of Cancer Survivorship, 2017
- Cancer Survivors’ Experience With Telehealth: A Systematic Review and Thematic SynthesisJournal of Medical Internet Research, 2017
- eHealth Literacy: Essential Skills for Consumer Health in a Networked WorldJournal of Medical Internet Research, 2006