Almost Two Thirds of Thoracic Oncologists Used Telehealth for the First-Time During Pandemic: IASLC Survey

Nearly two-thirds of thoracic oncologists surveyed indicated they used telehealth tools for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report issued at the IASLC 2021 World Conference on Lung Cancer.

Telehealth and telemedicine emerged as essential communications tools during the COVID-19 pandemic as alternatives to face-to-face consultation between patients and physicians.

To better assess the use of telehealth during the pandemic and the wider impact on thoracic care, the IASLC Communications Committee developed a 24-question survey covering two broad themes concerning the impact of the pandemic on the use of telehealth and lung cancer/mesothelioma care. The survey was administered between April 12, 2021, and May 31, 2021.

Of the 141 respondents, (37.6 % from North America, 31.2 % from Europe and 14.9 from Asia) 65.2 percent reported they used telehealth for the first time while billing (where appropriate) at normal rates (48.2%); nearly half reported that telehealth is here to stay (48.2%).

The most common barriers to adoption of telehealth were lack of resources for patients (66.1%) and regulatory limitations (56.2%), with patient interest and lack of institutional resources not rated as barriers (43.1% and 41.4%, respectively).

The top advantages for providers/patients were continuity of care and maintenance of contact with patients (88%-92% of respondents). Top disadvantages for providers were lack of human contact (72.9%), lack of patient internet access/tech knowledge (71.3%) and missing informal aspects of face-to-face visits (71.3%); these also ranked as top concerns for patients (74.8%,74%, 76.1% and 68.4%, respectively).

Physicians felt that telehealth was most appropriate during surveillance (94.1%) and least so for initial diagnosis (69.8%). Most felt that patients were receptive to telehealth (55.3%), however, clinicians worried that its use would increase healthcare disparities (29.7%).

Overall, most felt that the pandemic had a negative impact on care (68%), with impacts on accessing diagnostics (i.e., biopsy), clinical trials (i.e., reduction in trials), basic/translational research (i.e. decrease in activity) as well as care (i.e. surgery). There was also a decrease in numbers accessing lung cancer screening (86.9%).

"Much will need to be done to counteract the negative impacts on care, clinical trials, and research during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Anne-Marie Baird, Ph.D., Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland and chair of the IALSC Communications Committee.

"Although, telehealth has been widely adopted, issues remain such as healthcare access, point of use in the care pathway and telehealth platform selection."

About the IASLC

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is the only global organization dedicated solely to the study of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. Founded in 1974, the association's membership includes nearly 7,500 lung cancer specialists across all disciplines in over 100 countries, forming a global network working together to conquer lung and thoracic cancers worldwide. The association also publishes the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the primary educational and informational publication for topics relevant to the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of all thoracic malignancies.

About the WCLC

The WCLC is the world’s largest meeting dedicated to lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies, attracting more than 7,000 researchers, physicians and specialists from more than 100 countries. The goal is to increase awareness, collaboration and understanding of lung cancer, and to help participants implement the latest developments across the globe. The conference will cover a wide range of disciplines and unveil several research studies and clinical trial results.

Most Popular Now

AI Distinguishes Glioblastoma from Look-…

A Harvard Medical School–led research team has developed an AI tool that can reliably tell apart two look-alike cancers found in the brain but with different origins, behaviors, and treatments. The...

AI Body Composition Measurements can Pre…

Adiposity - or the accumulation of excess fat in the body - is a known driver of cardiometabolic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease...

AI can Strengthen Pandemic Preparedness

How to identify the next dangerous virus before it spreads among people is the central question in a new Comment in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. In it, researchers discuss how...

'Future-Guided' AI Improves Se…

In the world around us, many things exist in the context of time: a bird’s path through the sky is understood as different positions over a period of time, and...

New AI Tool Scans Social Media for Hidde…

A new artificial intelligence tool can scan social media data to discover adverse events associated with consumer health products, according to a study published September 30th in the open-access journal...

Yousif's Story with Sectra and The …

Embarking on healthcare technology career after leaving his home as a refugee during his teenage years, Yousif is passionate about making a difference. He reflects on an apprenticeship in which...

Study Finds One-Year Change on CT Scans …

Researchers at National Jewish Health have shown that subtle increases in lung scarring, detected by an artificial intelligence-based tool on CT scans taken one year apart, are associated with disease...

New Antibiotic Targets IBD - and AI Pred…

Researchers at McMaster University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have made two scientific breakthroughs at once: they not only discovered a brand-new antibiotic that targets inflammatory bowel diseases...

Highland to Help Companies Seize 'N…

Health tech growth partner Highland has today revealed its new identity - reflecting a sharper focus as it helps health tech companies to find market opportunities, convince target audiences, and...

AI Tool Offers Deep Insight into the Imm…

Researchers explore the human immune system by looking at the active components, namely the various genes and cells involved. But there is a broad range of these, and observations necessarily...

New AI Tools Help Scientists Track How D…

Artificial intelligence (AI) can solve problems at remarkable speed, but it’s the people developing the algorithms who are truly driving discovery. At The University of Texas at Arlington, data scientists...