Author: Ara Alexandrian, Panayiotis Mavroidis, Sotirios Stathakis 👨🔬
Affiliation: Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, University of North Carolina 🌍
Purpose: Telehealth has transformed healthcare delivery by improving accessibility and convenience for patients and providers. In radiation oncology, telehealth supports consultations, follow-ups, and team meetings, enhancing patient care continuity. This study aims to examine the potential risks associated with integrating telehealth into radiation oncology and provide strategies for mitigation.
Methods: A comprehensive review of telehealth applications in radiation oncology was conducted, focusing on potential risks. Key areas examined included data security and privacy, clinical effectiveness, technological barriers, regulatory compliance, patient-provider relationships, accessibility, workflow integration, ethical concerns, outcome monitoring, and legal liabilities.
Results: The analysis revealed several risks inherent in telehealth integration. Data security and privacy concerns were identified as critical challenges, alongside issues of regulatory compliance and legal liabilities. Technological barriers, including literacy and access disparities, hinder equitable use. Moreover, clinical effectiveness may be impacted by workflow disruptions, inadequate documentation, and strained patient-provider relationships. Ethical concerns and challenges in monitoring outcomes and quality assurance were also highlighted as areas requiring attention.
Conclusion: While telehealth offers significant benefits in radiation oncology, addressing its associated risks is essential for optimizing its integration. By acknowledging challenges such as data privacy, workflow adaptation, and equitable access, stakeholders can implement robust strategies to ensure telehealth augments, rather than detracts from, care quality and patient safety. Ongoing efforts in policy-making, technological innovation, and clinician training are crucial to realize the full potential of telehealth in radiation oncology.