Comparing Outcomes: In-Person and Telehealth Oncology Visits
Recommended Citation
Fridman I, Neslund-Dudas C, Barrow LJ, Dunn MR, Jones R, Kinlaw AC, Smith AB, Stein JN, Tam S, Wood WA, Fariman S, and Lafata JE. Comparing Outcomes: In-Person and Telehealth Oncology Visits. JCO Oncol Pract 2026.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-28-2026
Publication Title
JCO Oncol Pract
Abstract
PURPOSE: Telemedicine offers significant benefits, but concerns regarding care quality persist. To inform future oncology telehealth policy, we compared subsequent health care use, patient-reported care quality, and communication outcomes between telehealth and in-person visits.
METHODS: An observational cohort study (April 2022-October 2023) included patients age 21+ years with malignant neoplasms, a scheduled oncology visit, and cancer treatment initiated 6 months to 3 years before the study. Black adults and those with telehealth visits were oversampled. Pre- and post-visit telephone survey data were joined with electronic health record data and geocoded community characteristics. Outcomes included subsequent acute care events (emergency department visits and unplanned hospitalizations), follow-up visits, patient perceptions of whether their care needs were met, and communication quality via validated instruments, with Likert-scale responses. We estimated prevalence differences (PDs) in outcomes by visit type using propensity score-weighted generalized linear models that adjusted for patient socioeconomic, health, and census tract-level differences.
RESULTS: After propensity score adjustments achieved covariate balance, 487 respondents (93 telehealth, 394 in-person) were included. Mean age was 64 (standard deviation = 13) years; 62% were female, 26% were Black, 82% had some college degree or more, and 25% reported fair/poor health. Follow-up in-person visits at 30 days were more frequent after telehealth (64%, 46%; PD = 0.18 [95% CI, 0.07 to 0.28]), with no differences at 7 or 14 days. Acute care use did not significantly differ at any time point. Quality and communication ratings were similar (PD range: 0.00-0.09), except for perceived privacy: 80% in-person, 67% telehealth, P < .01.
CONCLUSION: Although mostly similar health care use and patient perceptions suggest telehealth as a viable oncology option, identified differences highlight the need to ensure privacy and evaluate when telehealth visits are most appropriate.
PubMed ID
41604604
ePublication
ePub ahead of print
First Page
2500616
Last Page
2500616
