Display options
Cite
Damico NJ, Deshane A, Kharouta M, et al. Telemedicine Use and Satisfaction Among Radiation Oncologists During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evaluation of Current Trends and Future Opportunities. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2021;7(2):100835doi: 10.1016/j.adro.2021.100835.
Damico, N. J., Deshane, A., Kharouta, M., Wu, A., Wang, G. M., Machtay, M. X., Kumar, A., Choi, S., & Bhatt, A. D. (2022). Telemedicine Use and Satisfaction Among Radiation Oncologists During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evaluation of Current Trends and Future Opportunities. Advances in radiation oncology, 7(2), 100835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adro.2021.100835
Damico, Nicholas J, et al. "Telemedicine Use and Satisfaction Among Radiation Oncologists During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evaluation of Current Trends and Future Opportunities." Advances in radiation oncology vol. 7,2 (2022): 100835. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adro.2021.100835
Damico NJ, Deshane A, Kharouta M, Wu A, Wang GM, Machtay MX, Kumar A, Choi S, Bhatt AD. Telemedicine Use and Satisfaction Among Radiation Oncologists During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evaluation of Current Trends and Future Opportunities. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2021 Oct 27;7(2):100835. doi: 10.1016/j.adro.2021.100835. eCollection 2022. PMID: 34993359; PMCID: PMC8713057.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Adv Radiat Oncol. 2021 Oct 27;7(2):100835. doi: 10.1016/j.adro.2021.100835. eCollection 2022.

Telemedicine Use and Satisfaction Among Radiation Oncologists During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evaluation of Current Trends and Future Opportunities.

Advances in radiation oncology

Nicholas J Damico, Alok Deshane, Michael Kharouta, Anna Wu, Gi-Ming Wang, Mitchell X Machtay, Aryavarta Kumar, Serah Choi, Aashish D Bhatt

Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
  2. Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio.
  3. Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
  4. Louis Stokes Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
  5. Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania.

PMID: 34993359 PMCID: PMC8713057 DOI: 10.1016/j.adro.2021.100835

Abstract

PURPOSE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine became an attractive alternative to in-person appointments. The role of telemedicine in patients who undergo frequent on-site treatment, such as radiation therapy, is unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine telemedicine use, physician satisfaction, and barriers to continued use in radiation oncology.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: An anonymous, electronic survey was distributed to radiation oncologists internationally between June and October 2020. Respondents described demographic and practice characteristics, and a 5-point Likert scale assessed provider satisfaction, ease of use, and overall utility of telemedicine. Analyses include descriptive statistics and subgroup comparisons using the χ

RESULTS: The response rate was 4.3%. Two hundred thirty-two respondents completed the survey, 63.8% of whom were male, 52.6% aged 50 or younger, and 78.0% from the United States. Only 14.2% used telemedicine previously, which increased to 93.1% during COVID-19. Among all telemedicine users, usage rates were 77.9% for initial consultations, 97.2% for follow-up visits, and 35.9% for on-treatment visits. Of the respondents, 69.8% reported that <25% of patients requiring treatment experienced delays due to COVID-19. Most conducted appointments from the workplace, with 40.1% also doing so from home. Satisfaction was high at 73.8%, perceived usefulness was 76.9%, and 81.5% hope to continue using telemedicine after the pandemic. However, 82.4% had concerns with the inability to examine patients and 63.0% had concerns about poor patient access to the required technology. In addition, 49.5% had concerns regarding continued billing/reimbursement, less commonly at government centers (18.8%) compared with academic/satellite facilities (52.7%) and free-standing centers/community hospitals (50.7%,

CONCLUSIONS: Widespread adoption of telemedicine by radiation oncologists occurred during COVID-19 with high rates of satisfaction and interest in continued use. Sustained reimbursement for telemedicine services is a significant concern, particularly in the United States and outside of government facilities.

© 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American Society for Radiation Oncology.

References

  1. JAMIA Open. 2019 Aug 05;2(3):323-329 - PubMed
  2. Future Oncol. 2020 Jun;16(18):1225-1227 - PubMed
  3. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2020 Apr 01;5(4):659-665 - PubMed
  4. J Telemed Telecare. 2000;6(4):245-7 - PubMed
  5. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2020 Sep 30;:1-7 - PubMed
  6. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2015 Apr 09;15:32 - PubMed
  7. N Engl J Med. 2020 Jun 4;382(23):e82 - PubMed
  8. N Engl J Med. 2016 Jul 14;375(2):154-61 - PubMed
  9. Lancet Oncol. 2010 Feb;11(2):204-10 - PubMed
  10. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2020 Apr 15;:1-6 - PubMed
  11. JAMA Oncol. 2021 Feb 1;7(2):220-227 - PubMed
  12. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2020 Oct 1;108(2):407-410 - PubMed
  13. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Jan 4;4(1):e2033967 - PubMed
  14. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2020 May 08;5(4):780-782 - PubMed
  15. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Dec 1;3(12):e2031640 - PubMed
  16. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2020 Oct 1;108(2):416-420 - PubMed
  17. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol. 2018 Nov 20;15:20-25 - PubMed
  18. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2020 May 05;5(4):610-616 - PubMed
  19. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2021 Jan 4;19(10):1174-1180 - PubMed
  20. JAMA Oncol. 2020 Nov 1;6(11):1698-1699 - PubMed
  21. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2020 Oct 1;108(2):356-361 - PubMed
  22. Int J Med Inform. 2020 Jul;139:104118 - PubMed
  23. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2005 Fall;21(4):517-21 - PubMed
  24. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2021 Jan-Feb;6(1):100575 - PubMed
  25. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2020 Oct 1;108(2):411-415 - PubMed

Publication Types