Healio: Studies offer insight into telehealth availability, patient use for cancer management
Data from two studies revealed disparities in telehealth availability and use among patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to presenters during the virtual American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress. One study found that 85.2 percent of hospitals reported having telehealth capacity for patients with breast cancer. Factors associated with telehealth use included facility type, teaching hospital status, geographic location, and hospital size. Factors not associated with telehealth availability included for-profit vs. non-profit status and population base in a center’s location. Researchers noted the importance of recognizing patient preferences for how they’d like to interact with the health care system as incredibly important.