Telemedicine in Cancer Care Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Oncology 2.0?

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE OF REVIEW This paper summarizes early experiences of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, the patient and physician experience, limitations in accessibility introduced by telemedicine, and the opportunities and anticipated sustained role of telemedicine for cancer care. RECENT FINDINGS: Research from a wide range of oncology facilities consistently demonstrates the feasibility of delivering telemedicine services over audio (telephone) and/or video platforms. Emerging work highlights that telemedicine is well suited for a subset of patients and clinical settings and that there are methods by which current disparities could potentially be ameliorated. Several current uncertainties limit the broad applicability of telemedicine longitudinally. Early responses to the pandemic that included rapid introduction of telemedicine demonstrated the feasibility of audio- and video-based platforms that achieved promising utility, while simultaneously demonstrating disparities based on patient characteristics and infrastructural support. Its long-term role will likely depend greatly on reimbursement and regulatory reform.