Persistence of Telemedicine Usage for Breast and Prostate Cancer after the Peak of the COVID-19 Pandemic

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Telemedicine became widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic, but little is known about its persistence in routine cancer care after the pandemic’s peak. This study examined telemedicine use for breast and prostate cancer patients at a New York City cancer center before, during, and after the pandemic’s peak. Telemedicine usage increased from 2% before the pandemic to 50% during the peak and then decreased to 30% after the peak. Both during and after the peak, psychiatry, social work, and nutrition conducted almost all visits remotely, while surgery and nursing maintained low telemedicine usage. Most departments continued to use telemedicine at or above peak levels, except for medicine, neurology, and survivorship. Anesthesiology and neurology used telemedicine more for follow-ups, while nursing used it more for new visits. These findings highlight specific contexts where patients and providers choose telemedicine even when other options are available. However, more research is needed to assess telemedicine’s suitability for and impact on cancer care. ABSTRACT: While COVID-19 catalyzed a shift to telemedicine, little is known about the persistence of remote cancer care in non-emergent times. We assessed telemedicine use at a high-volume academic cancer center in New York City and analyzed breast and prostate cancer visits pre-COVID-19, peak COVID-19, and post-peak. Descriptive statistics assessed visit mode (in person, telemedicine) and type (new, follow-up, other) by department/specialty, with Fisher’s exact tests comparing peak/post-peak differences. The study included 602,233 visits, with telemedicine comprising 2% of visits pre-COVID-19, 50% peak COVID-19, and 30% post-peak. Notable variations emerged by department/specialty and visit type. Post-peak, most departments/specialties continued using telemedicine near or above peak levels, except medicine, neurology, and survivorship, where remote care fell. In psychiatry, social work, and nutrition, nearly all visits were conducted remotely during and after peak COVID-19, while surgery and nursing maintained low telemedicine usage. Post-peak, anesthesiology and neurology used telemedicine seldom for new visits but often for follow-ups, while nursing showed the opposite pattern. These trends suggest department- and visit-specific contexts where providers and patients choose telemedicine in non-emergent conditions. More research is needed to explore these findings and evaluate telemedicine’s appropriateness and impact across the care continuum.