Cancer care in a time of COVID: lung cancer patient’s experience of telehealth and connectedness

OBJECTIVE: To explore lung cancer patient’s experiences of telehealth during COVID-19 restrictions. METHODS: Thirty patients with lung cancer were recruited. Data was collected using a qualitative exploratory design with semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were thematically coded using NVivo software. RESULTS: Five key themes were identified: maintaining resilience, participants acknowledged that they were self-reliant prior to their diagnosis and that the sense of their own internal capabilities was a source of comfort for them; importance of pre-established relationships with healthcare professionals, the sense of connection established prior to the telehealth consultation supported participants to engage with healthcare professionals where the need for connectedness was amplified by a sense of isolation; seeking help, participants sought help from services that they perceived as being “expert”; convenience, factors such as costs and saving time were highlighted; and preferences for consultation type, majority of participants identified physical and emotional comfort being in their own space. For a small number of patients, continuing a face-to-face assessment was important due to expectation based on previous experience. CONCLUSION: The use of telehealth was supported during the management of COVID-19. Connectedness and convenience were key to the level of comfort and confidence for patients with lung cancer using telehealth during “lockdown.”