Hamilton Elizabeth, Van Veldhuizen Ellie, Brown Amy, Brennan Sean, Sabesan Sabe
Townsville Hospital and Health Service, PO Box 670, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia.
James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
Clin Transl Radiat Oncol. 2018 Nov 20;15:20-25. doi: 10.1016/j.ctro.2018.11.005. eCollection 2019 Feb.
Telehealth (TH) in Radiation Oncology at Townsville Cancer Centre (TCC) was implemented in July 2011 to provide cancer care closer to home to the regional and rural population. The aim of this study was to describe the service use and patient satisfaction.
A retrospective audit of records was conducted for patients treated at TCC between July 2011 and December 2015. Data included patient demographics, diagnosis and treatment. Results of a patient satisfaction survey were summarised through descriptive statistics.
A total of 1530 TH consultations were provided to 833 patients. 311 patient charts were audited (615 TH, 650 in-person, 151 phone consultations). Median distance from TCC to satellites was 327.3 km (21.6 to 1130.1). 71% were male and median age was 65 (23-94 years). Cancer diagnoses included prostate (32%), breast (12%) and head and neck (10%). 60% of patients underwent radiation therapy for curative intent, 22% palliative and 18% did not undergo treatment. 106 patients participated in the satisfaction survey (231 patients invited, response rate of 46%), with the overall positive response mainly attributed to advantages in travel and time savings. 54.7% of patients selected TH as their preference for future consultations, 34.9% indicated a mix of TH and in-person consultations, and only 1 patient (0.9%) indicating in-person only.
TH enables the delivery of radiation oncology consultations to rural and regional patients, with an overall high level of patient satisfaction. Patients welcomed the model for benefits of travel and time savings. Future directions include engaging with specialist, rural medical staff and patients to maximize access.
汤斯维尔癌症中心（TCC）于2011年7月实施了放射肿瘤学远程医疗（TH），以便为地区和农村人口提供更贴近家门口的癌症护理。本研究的目的是描述服务使用情况和患者满意度。
对2011年7月至2015年12月在TCC接受治疗的患者记录进行回顾性审核。数据包括患者人口统计学信息、诊断和治疗情况。通过描述性统计对患者满意度调查结果进行了总结。
共为833名患者提供了1530次远程医疗会诊。审核了311份患者病历（615次远程医疗会诊、650次面对面会诊、151次电话会诊）。TCC到卫星机构的中位距离为327.3公里（21.6至1130.1公里）。71%为男性，中位年龄为65岁（23至94岁）。癌症诊断包括前列腺癌（32%）、乳腺癌（12%）和头颈癌（10%）。60%的患者接受放射治疗以达到治愈目的，22%为姑息治疗，18%未接受治疗。106名患者参与了满意度调查（共邀请231名患者，回复率为46%），总体积极回复主要归因于出行和节省时间方面的优势。54.7%的患者选择远程医疗作为未来会诊的首选，34.9%表示会选择远程医疗和面对面会诊相结合，只有1名患者（0.9%）表示只选择面对面会诊。
远程医疗能够为农村和地区患者提供放射肿瘤学会诊，患者总体满意度较高。患者欢迎这种节省出行和时间的模式。未来的方向包括与专科医生、农村医务人员和患者合作，以最大限度地提供就诊机会。
