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Telemedicine Use and Satisfaction Amongst Radiation Oncologists During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evaluation of Current Trends and Future Opportunities

Authors :
M.Z. Kharouta
Serah Choi
Gi-Ming Wang
Alok Deshane
Aryavarta M. S. Kumar
N. Damico
Aashish D. Bhatt
Anna Wu
Mitchell Machtay
Source :
International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2021.

Abstract

e13503 Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic telemedicine became an attractive alternative to in person appointments. The role of telemedicine in patients who undergo frequent on site treatment, such as radiation therapy, is unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine telemedicine use, physician satisfaction and barriers to continued use in radiation oncology. Methods: An anonymous, electronic survey was distributed to radiation oncologists internationally. Participants described demographic and practice characteristics and a 5 point Likert scale assessed provider satisfaction, ease of use and overall utility of telemedicine. Analyses include descriptive statistics and subgroup comparisons using Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test. Results: 232/5343 (4.3%) completed the survey, 63.8% of whom were male, 52.6% age 50 or younger and 78.0% from the United States (U.S.). Only 14.2% used Telemedicine previously, which increased to 93.1% during COVID-19. Amongst all telemedicine users, usage rates were 77.9% for initial consultations, 97.2% for follow-up visits, and 35.9% for on-treatment visits. 69.8% report that

Details

ISSN :
03603016
Volume :
111
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....c2f34bdc85c8eb4e7cbc34392b01962e