Patient satisfaction with telehealth consultations in medical oncology clinics: A cross-sectional study at a metropolitan centre during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Andrew Parsonson, Peter Grimison, Michael Boyer, Lisa G. Horvath, Kate Mahon, Jane Beith, Steven Kao, Mun N. Hui, Sarah Sutherland, Sanjeev Kumar, Gillian Z. Heller, Catriona M. McNeil
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a widespread adoption of telehealth (phone and video consultations) in cancer care worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine patient satisfaction with telehealth consultations with their medical oncologist at a tertiary cancer centre in Sydney, Australia. METHODS: Patients who attended a routine telehealth appointment at the medical oncology outpatient clinic were recruited to complete a questionnaire containing 16 items, each on a 5-point Likert scale regarding satisfaction levels in various aspects of telehealth and their willingness to continue telehealth after the pandemic. Patients were also invited to provide suggestions for improvement. RESULTS: < 0.001) were significantly associated with a willingness to continue telehealth. DISCUSSION: Patients were overwhelmingly satisfied with telehealth during the study period and were willing to continue telehealth for some appointments beyond the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. More research into the effectiveness, safety and implementation of telehealth to compliment traditional face-to-face services for patient-centred cancer care is required.