Cancer patient satisfaction with telehealth differs by race

Two recent studies reveal that while most cancer patients are satisfied with telehealth visits, racial differences in perceptions of telehealth's ease of use and usefulness persist, emphasizing the need for cancer practices to implement effective communication strategies.

A study published earlier this month in JAMA Network Open examined patient satisfaction with telehealth visits at a comprehensive cancer center via a survey. The survey polled cancer patients about their telehealth experiences, focusing on comparing the experience with an in-person visit.

The study included responses from 27,435 telehealth users who completed surveys from May 2020 to October 2023.

When analyzing overall patient satisfaction, the researchers excluded 2,801 patients who answered "not sure." Of the remaining 24,418 patients, 73.8% rated their first telehealth visit as good as or better than an in-person visit, and 18.9% rated it superior to an in-person visit.

A vast majority of patients (90.3%) expressed that they would prefer telehealth visits in the future, and 87.1% said they would recommend telehealth to other patients. Most patients (90.7%) were also satisfied with the instructions they received for connecting to the telehealth visit, and 90.2% expressed ease in using their device of choice to connect with their clinician.

The study also showed that patient satisfaction with telehealth grew with time. Satisfaction was lowest in 2020, with 31% of cancer patients noting that a telehealth visit was not as good as an in-person visit. This figure dropped to 18.9% by 2023.

Further, researchers found that satisfaction levels were linked to patient characteristics. For instance, patients who were less satisfied with telehealth were likely to be older on average.

Still, researchers concluded that "patient satisfaction with telemedicine in cancer care delivery remained high after the COVID-19 pandemic." They added that it is important to support telehealth availability at the individual, institution, state and federal levels, and identify best practices for patients who benefit most from telehealth.

Another study published late last month in JCO Oncology Practice underscored the difference in telehealth perception by demographic characteristics, namely race.

The study assessed survey responses from adult cancer patients between April 2022 and October 2023. The researchers gathered data on race and telehealth perceptions, including usefulness and ease of use.

Of the 773 respondents who completed the survey, 42% were Black. Mean digital literacy scores were lower among Black respondents than non-Black respondents and fewer Black respondents expressed high trust in their healthcare providers than non-Black respondents.

The study showed that more Black cancer patients (48%) believed that telehealth visits were not useful for determining health needs compared with their non-Black peers (37%). A higher proportion of Black cancer patients (15%) also did not believe telehealth was useful for patients to ask questions compared to non-Black cancer patients (9%).

Similarly, compared to non-Black respondents, more Black survey respondents expressed worry about having internet access (26% versus 15%), access to an electronic device (17% versus 9%), or finding someone to help when connecting to a visit (24% versus 12%).

Further, 30% of Black respondents reported that it was not easy to connect to telehealth visits compared with 23% of their non-Black counterparts, and 21% of Black patients said it was not easy to understand their healthcare provider during a telehealth visit versus only 14% of non-Black respondents.

Also, more Black respondents (31%) than non-Black respondents (19%) felt that telehealth visits were less private.

The researchers concluded, "in light of the identified differences in patient perceptions of the usability of telehealth visits, the oncology community should invest in implementation strategies that, along with connectivity support, address patient concerns regarding usefulness, ease of use, and privacy in telehealth visits."

Anuja Vaidya has covered the healthcare industry since 2012. She currently covers the virtual healthcare landscape, including telehealth, remote patient monitoring and digital therapeutics.