JAMA Oncology: Evaluation of Telemedicine Use Among US Patients With Newly Diagnosed Cancer by Socioeconomic Status
Newly diagnosed cancer patients with high socioeconomic status were more likely to have a telehealth visit in the 30 days following their diagnosis compared to patients with low socioeconomic status, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Kansas analyzed 16,006 patients who were newly diagnosed with breast, lung, prostate, or colorectal cancer between January 1 and August 31, 2020. Around half of the patients were between 18 and 64 years old while the other half were over 65. Despite telehealth visit volumes rising from 0.4 percent in January to its height of 54 percent in April 2020, telehealth use among the study population was divided based on socioeconomic status.