JAMA Netw Open

Fully remote radiation oncology care safe and cost-effective

June 20, 2024

According to a study published in JAMA Network Open, patients who opted for remote management of radiation oncology care reported high patient satisfaction and substantial cost savings. The findings suggest that a fully remote management option for properly selected patients receiving radiotherapy is safe and may preserve patient and clinician flexibility, expand access, create less financial toxicity, and reduce the carbon footprint.

The study

• Patients of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York are offered a choice of either in-person or remote telehealth visits for radiation oncology care with the goal of expanding access and preserving care continuity.
• In this retrospective cohort study, investigators at the Cancer Center analyzed patient safety event and satisfaction survey data from the first two years of the program ending in October 2022.

Key findings

• 2,817 patients (median age, 65 years; 52.1% male) who received radiation oncology care with fully remote physician management were included.
• Nearly all survey respondents (97.6%) rated patient satisfaction as good to very good across all domains.
• Of the 764 safety events reported, 99.9% did not reach patients or caused no harm to patients.
• For treatment with fully remote physician management, out-of-pocket cost savings totaled $612,912.71 ($466.45 per patient) and decreased carbon dioxide emissions by 174 metric tons.

Source:

Cuaron JJ, et al. (2024, June 3). JAMA Netw Open. Patient Safety and Satisfaction With Fully Remote Management of Radiation Oncology Care. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38865123/