Technology | 08.17.20
Could Telemedicine Solve the Cancer Backlog?
by The Lancet
The Lancet (08/06/20) McCall, Becky
Although millions of patients with cancer face delays in diagnosis and treatment due to the diversion of resources during the pandemic, there is a growing expectation that telemedicine comprising video, telephone, and other electronic communication may play a key role in easing the backlog. AnaMaria Lopez, medical oncologist at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, says the number of telemedicine visits at her cancer center during May alone was equivalent to that projected for the entire year. Cary Presant, a cancer specialist from the City of Hope Hospital in Los Angeles, notes that all staff were trained in telemedicine in early March as the COVID-19 threat closed in. It has been widely adopted since. But with the swift rise in telemedicine adoption comes potential disadvantages in cancer care, especially diagnosis.
Read the full story from The Lancet.