Information Technology and Telemedicine Services in Community Oncology Practices

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Services Research
• Digital Health

Background:

• Telemedicine adoption in oncology is rapidly evolving.
• Understanding its use in cancer care delivery and research is crucial for community oncology practices.
• The National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) is a key network for this research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the information technology support and use of telemedicine for cancer care delivery and research.
• To assess trends in telemedicine utilization within NCORP community oncology practices between 2017 and 2022.
• To identify factors associated with telemedicine adoption for cancer care and research.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the NCORP 2017 and 2022 Landscape Assessments.
• Logistic regression models to evaluate factors associated with telemedicine use.
• Inclusion of 210 practice groups in 2017 and 259 in 2022, excluding pediatric-only groups.

Main Results:

• In 2017, 30% of practices used telemedicine for cancer care delivery, with 15% using it for research.
• By 2022, 73% of practices utilized telemedicine for research purposes.
• Safety-net hospital status was linked to lower telemedicine use for care delivery, while critical access hospital affiliation was linked to higher use.

Conclusions:

• Telemedicine use for cancer care delivery was adopted by nearly one-third of NCORP practices in 2017.
• A significant increase in telemedicine capacity for research purposes was observed by 2022, with almost three-quarters of practices equipped.
• Practices with general survivorship clinics and more providers showed higher telemedicine use for research.