The role of telehealth in oncology care: a qualitative analysis | Dr Eri Aung

DR ERI AUNG
Research Elective Intern, Palliative Nexus group
St Vincent's Melbourne and University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research 

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rapid expansion and adoption at scale of telehealth, where previously reserved in use to remote communities. This afforded a novel opportunity to study its impact on the delivery of oncology care, through semi-structured interviews with seven clinicians and eleven patients.

This study represents the first qualitative investigation into the perspectives of clinicians and patients after its use in oncology care during the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies the boundaries of telehealth’s utility in oncology care, as well as the uncertainty inherent in the experience of telehealth. Further, it elucidates necessary changes to the current model of telehealth for sustainable integration into oncology care post-pandemic.

Dr Eri Aung is a recently graduated final year medical student from Imperial College London, who completed a five-week research elective with Professor Jennifer Philip from the Palliative Nexus group, University of Melbourne. She has interests in palliative care and interventional radiology.