Telemedicine in Cancer Care Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Oncology 2.0?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This paper summarizes early experiences of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, the patient and physician experience, limitations in accessibility introduced by telemedicine, and the opportunities and anticipated sustained role of telemedicine for cancer care. RECENT FINDINGS: Research from a wide range of oncology facilities consistently demonstrates the feasibility of delivering telemedicine services over audio (telephone) and/or video platforms. Emerging work highlights that telemedicine is well suited for a subset of patients and clinical settings and that there are methods by which current disparities could potentially be ameliorated. Several current uncertainties limit the broad applicability of telemedicine longitudinally. SUMMARY: Early responses to the pandemic that included rapid introduction of telemedicine demonstrated the feasibility of audio- and video-based platforms that achieved promising utility, while simultaneously demonstrating disparities based on patient characteristics and infrastructural support. Its long-term role will likely depend greatly on reimbursement and regulatory reform.