3201 - Telemedicine Experiences among Radiation Oncologists: A Pilot Study at an Integrated Health Care System in California

12:45pm - 02:00pm PT

Hall F

Screen: 4

POSTER

Presenter(s)

Haocheng Cai, DO, PhD - Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

H. Cai¹, M. R. Girvigian², J. Zhang³, and X. S. Liu⁴; ¹Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, ²Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Los Angeles, CA, ³Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, ⁴University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

Purpose/Objective(s):

Telemedicine has become an essential tool in healthcare delivery, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This pilot study aimed to examine telemedicine usage patterns within a geographically dispersed, multi-institutional healthcare system, gather perspectives from radiation oncology physicians, analyze the correlation between telemedicine use and physician burnout level, and assess future directions for improving telemedicine quality in cancer patient care.

Materials/Methods:

A 20-question survey was designed and distributed via SurveyMonkey to all radiation oncologists across nine radiation oncology centers within an integrated healthcare system in California. The survey collected demographic information, patterns of telemedicine use before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, comfort levels in managing different disease sites via telemedicine, and its impact on the physician burnout. All responses were anonymized and analyzed using qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Results:

Over a four-week collection period (March 8, 2024 to April 5, 2024), 36 responses were received, yielding a response rate of 67%. 77.78% were age 55 or younger, and 61.11% were male. 100% of physicians reported using telemedicine. The most common visit types conducted via telemedicine included consultations, follow-ups, and subsequent new visits. A total of 41.18% of physicians reported high satisfaction with the quality of telemedicine consultations. Concerns about telemedicine limiting the ability to develop appropriate treatment plans were generally low. Physicians conducted telemedicine consultations both from the office and at home, with most appreciating the flexibility of remote work. Additionally, 75% of physicians believed telemedicine reduced burnout, with a higher agreement among female physicians compared to males (78.6% vs. 72.7%). However, younger physicians expressed the most concern about the lack of physical examinations in telemedicine encounters. Notably, all respondents agreed that telemedicine should remain a routine practice beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion:

This pilot study suggests that most radiation oncologists had positive experiences with telemedicine for consultations and follow-ups. The use of telemedicine increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains widely accepted. Physicians reported enhanced work schedule flexibility and a reduction in burnout, with minimal concerns about compromising patient care quality. Telemedicine may improve access to cancer care in geographically dispersed radiation oncology practices.