Experiences of Women With Breast Cancer Using Telehealth: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Patient-reported convenience and effectiveness of telehealth for breast cancer management

BACKGROUND

Before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, telehealth was rarely used for breast cancer management at tertiary care centers. We sought to examine patient satisfaction, experiences, preferences, and perceived effectiveness and technical quality of telehealth visits in follow-up patients receiving routine outpatient care in the breast medical oncology practice at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

METHODS

We administered a survey to 60 follow-up patients for a duration of 9 months (January 5, 2021 to October 27, 2021) who had at least one telehealth consultation during the COVID-19 pandemic, from April 10, 2020 to October 21, 2021. Descriptive statistics were then generated for each question, each domain, and overall survey scores. Subgroup comparisons within patient populations were done using the chi-square or t-test when appropriate.

RESULTS

Among the 60 participants, 49 (82%) were undergoing standard follow-up during active treatment for either early-stage or metastatic breast cancer. Telehealth and in-person office visits were considered equivalent in terms of quality of communication by 43 participants (72%). Most participants (n = 49, 82%) felt equally cared for during telehealth and in-person visits, and 40 participants (67%) reported feeling connected to their healthcare professional during both telehealth and in-person visits. In addition, 28 participants (47%) felt that the duration of telehealth visits was similar to in-person visits, 46 (77%) found both telehealth and in-person visits equally comfortable for discussing sensitive topics, 39 (65%) considered telehealth visits convenient, and 42 (70%) perceived the overall quality of care for telehealth to be similar to that of in-person visits. Participants expressed high satisfaction with telehealth appointments, with 42 (70%) rating their experience as very satisfying. Most participants (n = 44, 73%) expressed a strong likelihood of participating in telehealth appointments for breast cancer follow-up care in the future.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that telehealth can serve as an effective and satisfactory approach for delivering healthcare services to patients with breast cancer requiring follow-up care. The positive experiences and willingness to continue using telehealth indicate its potential for improving access to care and patient outcomes.

Comparative efficacy of telehealth interventions on promoting cancer screening: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Cancer screening is a pivotal method for reducing mortality from disease, but the screening coverage is still lower than expected. Telehealth interventions demonstrated significant benefits in cancer care, yet there is currently no consensus on their impact on facilitating cancer screening or on the most effective remote technology.

DESIGN

A network meta-analysis was conducted to detect the impact of telehealth interventions on cancer screening and to identify the most effective teletechnologies.

METHODS

Six English databases were searched from inception until July 2023 to yield relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Two individual authors completed the literature selection, data extraction, and methodological evaluations using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Traditional pairwise analysis and network meta-analysis were performed to identify the overall effects and compare different teletechnologies.

RESULTS

Thirty-four eligible RCTs involving 131,644 participants were enrolled. Overall, telehealth interventions showed statistically significant effects on the improvement of cancer screening. Subgroup analyses revealed that telehealth interventions were most effective for breast and cervical cancer screening, and rural populations also experienced benefits, but there was no improvement in screening for older adults. The network meta-analysis indicated that mobile applications, video plus telephone, and text message plus telephone were associated with more obvious improvements in screening than other teletechnologies.

CONCLUSION

Our study identified that telehealth interventions were effective for the completion of cancer screening and clarified the exact impact of telehealth on different cancer types, ages, and rural populations. Mobile applications, video plus telephone, and text message plus telephone are the three forms of teletechnologies most likely to improve cancer screening. More well-designed RCTs involving direct comparisons of different teletechnologies are needed in the future.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Telehealth interventions should be encouraged to facilitate cancer screening, and the selection of the optimal teletechnology based on the characteristics of the population is also necessary.

Perceptions of adult patients with cancer towards telemedicine: A qualitative meta-synthesis

Objective

This study aims to systematically identify, evaluate, and synthesize published qualitative research on the views and attitudes of adult cancer patients toward telemedicine and, consequently to better inform the future development of telemedicine technology and interventions.

Methods

A meta-synthesis review was conducted to identify qualitative studies that reported adult cancer patients' perceptions toward telemedicine applications using nine electronic databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Wan Fang, VIP, and CNKI, from inception to November 2022. Quality appraisal was guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research. Data were synthesized using "thematic synthesis" to identify themes and concepts.

Results

A total of 3518 articles were retrieved, of which 23 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. These studies identified three key meta-themes and 11 key sub-themes: (1) Benefits of telemedicine: obtaining information and social support, maintaining the continuity of treatment, receiving professional assistance, having greater flexibility, and promoting physical and mental health; (2) Limitations of telemedicine: interference with normal life, privacy and security issues, auxiliary function issues, and increased psychological burden; (3) Expectations for future telemedicine: more personalized intervention, more specific and diverse information.

Conclusions

The study showed that the benefits and limitations coexisted in the process of telemedicine application among adult cancer patients. It is necessary to develop personalized applications that are better suited to the needs and characteristics of adult cancer patients. Future telemedicine interventions should focus on information diversification and provide patients with more diverse and effective information.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO, CRD42022324528.

Telehealth Availability for Cancer Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Telehealth was an important strategy for maintaining continuity of cancer care during the coronavirus pandemic and has continued to play a role in outpatient care; however, it is unknown whether services are equally available across cancer hospitals.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess telehealth availability at cancer hospitals for new and established patients with common cancers to contextualize the impact of access barriers to technology on overall access to health care.

METHODS

We conducted a national cross-sectional secret shopper study from June to November 2020 to assess telehealth availability at cancer hospitals for new and established patients with colorectal, breast, and skin (melanoma) cancer. We examined facility-level factors to determine predictors of telehealth availability.

RESULTS

Of the 312 investigated facilities, 97.1% (n=303) provided telehealth services for at least 1 cancer site. Telehealth was less available to new compared to established patients (n=226, 72% vs n=301, 97.1%). The surveyed cancer hospitals more commonly offered telehealth visits for breast cancer care (n=266, 85%) and provided lower access to telehealth for skin (melanoma) cancer care (n=231, 74%). Most hospitals (n=163, 52%) offered telehealth for all 3 cancer types. Telehealth availability was weakly correlated across cancer types within a given facility for new (r=0.16, 95% CI 0.09-0.23) and established (r=0.14, 95% CI 0.08-0.21) patients. Telehealth was more commonly available for new patients at National Cancer Institute-designated facilities, medical school-affiliated facilities, and major teaching sites, with high total admissions and below-average timeliness of care. Telehealth availability for established patients was highest at Academic Comprehensive Cancer Programs, nongovernment and nonprofit facilities, medical school-affiliated facilities, Accountable Care Organizations, and facilities with a high number of total admissions.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite an increase in telehealth services for patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, we identified differences in access across cancer hospitals, which may relate to measures of clinical volume, affiliation, and infrastructure.

Demand-oriented design of telemedical services in gynecologic oncology

BACKGROUND

The medical field is in the midst of a massive expansion in telemedical services. However, it is not possible to say to what extent telemedical offerings can be designed to meet needs in the German healthcare system. This study provides insights into demand-oriented care using telemedical services for gynecological patients.

METHODS

A total of 262 patients who received systemic therapy for gynecological oncology were surveyed anonymously using a questionnaire regarding their acceptance of telemedicine from February 2021 to April 2021.

RESULTS

Insufficient computer skills were associated with less acceptance of telemedicine treatment by gynecological oncology patients and presented a barrier. However, the patient's level of education was not related to the level of acceptance. Long travel distances from medical facilities and some types of patient occupations significantly increased the acceptance of telemedicine services. A high level of education, on the other hand, was not associated with the approval of telemedical approaches. Long journeys and work commitments increased the acceptance of telemedical visits.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study show that the factors investigated have an influence on the acceptance of telemedical offerings by patients. Barriers such as insufficient computer skills must be taken into account when implementing telemedicine services. Telemedicine can provide physical and economic relief for patients if telemedical planning is tailored to their needs.