Patient and family caregiver perceptions of telehealth in oncology in the US: a scoping review

With the onset of the COVID pandemic the use of electronic tools, including telehealth, increased out of necessity.

The goal of this scoping review was to identify perceptions of benefits and limitations of the use of telehealth among cancer patients and their family caregivers. Eligibility-Criteria: This study reviewed articles from PubMed, EBSCO, and Google Scholar using search terms related to oncology and telehealth. Charting Methods: 39 articles were included and categorized as benefits or limitations of telehealth.

All studies included patient perceptions while only three studies included caregivers. Benefit themes included (1) Convenience, (2) Savings, (3) Access to Care, (4) Work or Career, (5) Caregiver Inclusion and Perspective, and (6) Other. Limitation themes included (1) Disruption to Care Experience or Patient-Provider Relationship, (2) Need for Physical Examination, (3) Communication Challenges, and (4) Technology-Related Issues. Non-Hispanic White patients were the most prominent racial or ethnic group in the studies while six studies included a high percentage of Black patients.

Findings suggest that a hybrid approach might be best depending on the care needed while also benefit from cost-savings and convenience when feasible. Future research must consider the caregiver perspective more intentionally in understanding experiences of telehealth given implications for work. Additional research is also needed to develop strategies to address use differences according to demographics or due to technology barriers.