Table 2 Summary of the selected studies
No | Author(s) | Country/year | Objective | Disease | Type of telemedicine services | Telemedicine modality | Users’ opinions | Clinical impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Darcourt et al. [20] | USA/2021 | To evaluate the use of telemedicine amid the Covid-19 pandemic in patients with cancer and assess barriers to its implementation | All types of cancer | Teleconsultation | Video conference (Using MyChart video platform) | • Most patients were satisfied (92.6%), and 62.5% of physicians were satisfied from teleconsultation. • Patients were more eager to use of telemedicine compared to in-person follow up visits (P < .0001) • Limiting physical examinations, physician-patient interaction, medical liability, quality of care, and getting significant data are physicians' concerns about the use of video visits. | Not reported |
2 | Chen et al. [21] | China/2021 | To investigate the effectiveness of telerehabilitation on the short-term quality of life of patients after esophageal cancer surgery during Covid-19. | Esophageal cancer | Telerehabilitation | Video conference, messaging (Using WeChat platform), and remote monitoring | Not reported | • Use of telerehabilitation significantly relieved patients pain (P < .001) • Telerehabilitation visits had much lower scores in sleep disturbance, appetite loss, financial impact, swallowing saliva, choking, and cough compare to in-person visits. |
3 | Shaverdian et al. [22] | USA/2021 | To assess cancer patient experience with telemedicine in routine radiation oncology practice to determine satisfaction, quality of care, and opportunities for optimization. | All types of cancer | Teleconsultation | Video conference, or telephone | • Patients overall preferred teleconsultation compared to in-person visits. • Teleconsultation deceases treatment-related costs compared to in-person visits. | Not reported |
4 | Narayanan et al. [23] | USA/2021 | To report the feasibility of conducting integrative oncology physician consultations via telehealth in 2020 and compare patient characteristics to prior in-person consultations undertaken in 2019. | All types of cancer | Teleconsultation | Video conference, or telephone (Using Zoom platform) | Not reported | • Teleconsualtion use significantly lower anxiety, appetite, depression, drowsiness, fatigue, financial distress, and pain scores compare to in-person visits. |
5 | Granberg et al. [24] | USA/2021 | To identify the factors influencing patient acceptability of video visits for medical oncology care before and at the onset of the expansion of telehealth because of the Covid-19 pandemic. | All types of cancer | Televisit | Video conference | • Televisit improved patient convenience and experience by eliminating travel, reducing risk of Covid-19 exposure, and increasing the length of visits. • Limiting physical examinations, privacy concerns, e-health illiteracy, and reducing patient-provider communications are televisit use barriers. | • Televisit reduce anxiety |
6 | Heyer et al. [25] | USA/2021 | To identify medical oncology health professionals’ perceptions of the barriers to and benefits of telehealth video visits. | All types of cancer | Televisit | Video conference (Using JeffConnect platform) | • Televisit is limiting patients' physical examination, patient-provider connection, and sensitive conversations compare to in-person visits • Televisit is facilitate more patient follow-up, availability of lab results, lowering communicable disease, transportation, and increase patient responsibilities. | Not reported |
7 | Picardo et al. [26] | Italy/2021 | To analyze oncological patients’ perception of telemedicine in the Covid-19 pandemic during follow-up visits for gynecological and breast cancers. | Gynecological and breast cancers | Televisit | Telephone | • Young women with pelvic cancer had a better perception of telemedicine compared to older ones. • Low-educated women with breast cancer had a more positive perception of telemedicine enhanced their care. | Not reported |
8 | Zhu et al. [27] | UK/2021 | To assess patient satisfaction with the head and neck cancer telephone triage service during the Covid-19 pandemic. | Head and neck cancer | Televisit | Telephone | • Consulting through telemedicine is more effective than in-person visits (P < .001). • Healthcare services is more accessible through telemedicine than in-person visits (P = .01). • Using telephone delays diagnosis and hinders communication. • Telemedicine is limiting doctor-patient relationship. • Telephone consultation is safe, easy, accessible and cost saver during Covid-19 pandemic. | • Telephone triage may induce more fear and anxiety. |
9 | Kotsen et al. [28] | USA/2021 | To examine the effect of rapid scaling of tobacco treatment telehealth on cancer patient engagement, as measured by attendance rates for in-person counseling visits versus remote telehealth counseling visits during the Covid-19 outbreak. | All types of cancer | Televisit | Telephone | • The use of telemedicine is more significant to appointment completion than in-person appointments (P < 0.001). • Telemedicine appointments completion during the Covid-19 pandemic had increased by 2.3 times compared to in-person visits (P < 0.001). | Not reported |
10 | Watson et al. [29] | Australia/2021 | To assess the efficacy and safety of telephone clinics in delivering care to established oncology patients and assess patient and health professionals’ preference (telephone vs. face-to-face clinics) during the Covid-19 pandemic. | All types of cancer | Televisit | Telephone | • Telemedicine saves patients’ money and time, increases visit time, and Telemedicine is limiting patients' physical and vital sign examinations, and reduce patient-provider connection compare to in-person visits | • Before the introduction of telemedicine, patients' mortality post-systemic therapy was significantly high (P = .008). • Telemedicine reduce patients’ anxiety by make easier to receive bad news compared to in-person visits. |
11 | Aghedo et al. [30] | USA/2021 | To transition in-person multidisciplinary team to a telehealth format and to assess early outcomes for colorectal cancer patient and physician satisfaction during the Covid-19 pandemic. | Colorectal cancer | Teleconsultation | Video conference (Using Zoom platform | • Physicians were satisfied with teamwork, communication, and quality of care. • Patients reflected a high degree of satisfaction with the easy-to-use of telemedicine, audio-video quality, and quality of communication. | Not reported |
12 | Fassas et al. [31] | USA/2021 | To examine current preferences and barriers for telemedicine among patients with head and neck cancer in the Covid-19 era. | Head and neck cancer | Teleconsultation | Video conference (Using Zoom platform) | • Patients were more comfortable in use of teleconsultation (P = .028) and with an assistance (P = .007) compared to in-person visits. | Not reported |
13 | Uppal et al. [32] | USA/2022 | To measure short-term outcomes of cancer patients with postoperative telemedicine visits compared with in-person visits | All types of cancer | Teleconsultation | Video conference | • Use of telemedicine takes fewer additional visits compared to in-person visits (P = .01) | • Use of telemedicine takes shorter surgical length of stay (P = .001) |
14 | Mackwood et al. [33] | USA/2022 | To study factors that influenced telemedicine uptake and sustained use in outpatient oncology clinics at a USA cancer center to inform future telemedicine practices | All types of cancer | Teleconsultation | Video conference, and telephone (Using Zoom platform) | • Reimbursement, licensing regulations, and access to local patient's medical records are providers concern. • Clinical workflow compatibility, internet connectivity, and patients' technical illiteracy are teleconsultation barriers. • Teleconsultation had overcome in-person geographical, time, and workload barriers. • The Covid-19 pandemic had a significant influence on the use of teleconsultation. | Not reported |
15 | Alpert et al. [34] | USA/2022 | To describe oncology clinicians’ experiences with teleoncology and to uncover its benefits and challenges during the first 10 months of the Covid-19 pandemic. | All types of cancer | Teleconsultation | Video conference (Using Zoom platform) | • Telemedicine reduces in-person visits, travel, financial burden, and risk of Covid-19 exposure. • Telemedicine facilitates family member participation and makes patients and their environments visible. • The internet connection, unfamiliarity with telemedicine, conducting physical exams, and meeting expectations about appointment times are provider’s challenges. | Not reported |
16 | Hadley et al. [35] | USA/2022 | To identify medical oncology providers’ perceptions of telehealth video visits as influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. | All types of cancer | Televisit | Video conference (Using JeffConnect platform) | • Televisits increased patients' and providers' comfort and their willingness to engage during the Covid-19 pandemic compared to in-person visits. • Access to unreliable technology and the internet, reticence to change, inability to maintain a robust provider-patient relationship, lack of physical examination, and fear of faulty diagnoses or inappropriate treatment are televisit barriers. | Not reported |
17 | Waseem et al. [36] | USA/2022 | To investigate factors associated with successfully accessing and completing telemedicine visits and the association between telemedicine visit success and clinical outcomes among patients with thoracic cancer during the Covid-19 pandemic. | Thoracic cancer | Televisit | Video conference, or telephone | Not reported | • Televisits reduced odds of urgent care visits, and hospitalization compared to in-person visits. |
18 | Brady et al. [37] | UK/2022 | To evaluate and co-design rehabilitation services via telemedicine services to meet the complex needs of our patients and careers at a tertiary cancer center. | Head and neck, Gastrointestinal, breast, and hematology cancer | Telerehabilitation | Video conference, or telephone | • Telerehabilitation saves both patients and hospital travel costs and time and makes visits more flexible and patient-centered compared to in-person visits. • Both patients and careers had privacy and security concerns, inappropriate access to use, communication difficulties, and lack of training. | Not reported |
19 | Khan et al. [38] | Canada/2022 | To understand patient experiences from their perspective regarding telehealth interaction for swallowing therapy during radiation therapy. | Head and neck cancer | Telerehabilitation | Video conference, telephone, or both (Using MS Teams or WebEx platforms) | • Telerehabilitation was identified as easy to use due to participants' good internet connection, minimal required preparation, and family member support. • Saving time and money due to travel elimination, reducing in-person session anxiety, and protection against the Covid-19 pandemic were the most expressed benefits of telerehabilitation. • Lack of previous telerehabilitation experience, access to optimal equipment, and physical examination were the most limiting use factors. | Not reported |
20 | Breen et al. [39] | USA/2022 | To examine patient experiences with and preferences for telehealth at a cancer genetic counseling clinic throughout the first six months of the Covid-19 pandemic. | All types of cancer | Teleconsultation | Video conference, telephone, or both | • Most of the patients felt grateful when received the scheduled teleconsultation appointment notification. • Some patients expressed technical and low-quality of care concerns before teleconsultation appointments. • Most patients are satisfied with teleconsultation appointments, ease of use, and the quality of audio/visual during the appointment. | Not reported |
21 | Mackwood et al. [40] | USA/2022 | To characterize the use of telemedicine for oncology care over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic in Northern New England with a focus on factors affecting trends. | All types of cancer | Televisit | Video conference, or telephone | • Televisit decreases emergency room and hospital admission rates compared to in-person visits. (P < .001) | Not reported |
22 | Turner et al. [41] | USA/2022 | To explore oncology healthcare providers' and professionals’ experiences with telehealth implementation during the Covid-19 pandemic. | All types of cancer | Teleconsultation | Video conference, or telephone (Using Zoom platform) | • Teleconsultation increased patient receptivity to information, willingness to initiate discussion, coordination with caregivers and external/internal healthcare providers. • Lack of physical examinations, data (e.g. patient-reported outcomes), electronic health record integration, information technology support, patient education, and workflow optimization are the most expressed teleconsultation challenges. | Not reported |
23 | Grant et al. [42] | UK/2022 | To elucidate the perceptions and opinions of cancer patients at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and The Royal Free Hospital in regard to this recent and rapid transition to teleclinics. | All types of cancer | Televisit | Video conference, or telephone | • Telemedicine saved patients time and reduced fatigue from travel • Using telephone-based televisits may make the struggle to patients with hearing/language difficulties. | • Using telemedicine to confirm systemic anti-cancer therapy is acceptable to patients |
24 | Ackroyd et al. [43] | USA/2022 | To describe the use of telemedicine in gynecologic oncology and identify patient characteristics associated with telemedicine use during Covid-19. | Gynecologic cancers | Televisit | Video conference, or telephone | • Patients who had at least one televisit were more likely to have multiple visits than only attending in-person visits. (P < 0.01) | Not reported |
25 | Mojdehbakhsh et al. [44] | USA/2022 | To evaluate gynecologic cancer patients’ satisfaction with telemedicine visits over a one-year period during the Covid-19 pandemic. | Gynecologic cancers | Televisit | Video conference, or telephone | • Most of patients were satisfied from quality of technology, personal comfort, length-of-visit, treatment explanation, and overall experience. • Televisit is limiting patient-providers interaction, and physical examinations. | Not reported |
26 | Collins et al. [45] | Australia/2022 | To evaluate perceptions of telehealth through a dyadic exploration of matched cancer patient-and clinician-reported acceptability data and to explore factors that may predict greater suitability for telehealth. | All types of cancer | Teleconsultation | Video conference, or telephone | • Most patients and clinicians were satisfied with the use of teleconsultation. • Based on clinicians' views, the use of teleconsultation for young patients, with higher performance status, or low-stage of cancer was more acceptable. | Not reported |
27 | Almouaalamy et al. [46] | Saudi Arabia/2022 | To investigate the effect of teleclinics on palliative care patients during the Covid-19 pandemic. | All types of cancer | Televisit | Video conference | Not reported | • Patients with full code status were relatively less likely to be admitted (P < .001) or go to the emergency room (P = .022) |
28 | Tang et al. [47] | USA/2022 | To evaluate surgical telehealth utilization and outcomes for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients during the Covid-19 pandemic. | Breast cancer | Teleconsultation | Video conference, and telephone | • Patients with a teleconsultation had a higher number of subsequent office visits compared to an initial office visit. (P < .001) | • Teleconsultation takes a shorter time from biopsy to first surgical consultation compared to in-person visits. (P= .01) |
29 | Pardolesi et al. [48] | Italy/2022 | To report the results of the initial experience of the SmartDoc Project, a telemedicine program activated in a cancer center at the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic onset in Italy. | Lung cancer | Teleconsultation | Video conference (Using MS Teams platform) | • Most patients were highly satisfied with teleconsultation compared to in-person visits. • Most patients choose telemedicine over traditional in-person consultation due to fear of Covid-19 virus transmission. | Not reported |