Utilization of telehealth as part of the cancer care delivery continuum dramatically escalated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic at major cancer centers across the globe. The rapid shift toward telehealth visits for non-treatment cancer care provided immediate benefit through reducing unnecessary risk of exposure, overcoming transportation barriers faced by both patients and caregivers, and fast-tracking care transformation. As such, delineating the impact of telehealth on access, health equity, quality, and outcomes will be essential for refining the use of digital strategies and telehealth toward optimizing cancer care. Herein, experiences to date with telehealth usage for oncology care is reviewed, and priorities outlined for post-pandemic opportunities to improve the lives of cancer patients through telemedicine.
Optimizing the use of telemedicine in oncology care: post-pandemic opportunities.