Hospital Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.
Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States.
Front Public Health. 2023 Jun 2;11:1186350. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1186350. eCollection 2023.
The COVID-19 pandemic revolutionized cancer care delivery leading to rapid adoption of digital technology for telehealth in the United States. In this study, we describe telehealth utilization trends across the three largest waves of the pandemic at a safety net academic center. We also provide a perspective on lessons learnt and our vision for cancer care delivery using digital technology in the near future. The integration of interpreter services within the video platform and its integration within the electronic medical record system is crucial for safety net institutes that service a diverse patient population. Pay-parity for telehealth, especially ongoing support for audio-only visits, will be critical in overcoming health disparities for patients without access to smartphone technology. Use of telehealth in clinical trials, widespread adoption of hospital at home programs, electronic consults for rapid access, and structured telehealth slots in clinic templates will be crucial in making cancer care more equitable and efficient.
新冠疫情大流行彻底改变了癌症治疗的提供方式，导致数字技术在美国的远程医疗中迅速普及。在这项研究中，我们描述了一家医疗保障学术中心在三次大流行浪潮中远程医疗的使用趋势。我们还提供了一个视角，说明在不久的将来利用数字技术提供癌症护理的经验教训和我们的愿景。在为多样化患者群体提供服务的医疗保障机构中，视频平台内整合口译服务及其与电子病历系统的整合至关重要。为没有智能手机技术的患者提供远程医疗的同等待遇，特别是对音频访问的持续支持，将是克服健康差距的关键。在临床试验中使用远程医疗、广泛采用居家医院计划、快速获取电子咨询以及在临床模板中设置结构化远程医疗时段，对于实现癌症护理的公平和高效至关重要。
