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Virtual Second-Opinion Delivery for Oncology Patients
Aadit P Shah1, Siyu Shi1, Thomas Y Sun2
1Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.
JCO Oncology Practice
|February 11, 2025
Summary
Virtual second opinions for cancer care improved access, with over half of patients recommended a treatment change. This program offered expert oncologic care remotely, benefiting those with advanced or stage II disease.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Telemedicine
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Patients with cancer face challenges accessing timely, quality oncologic care.
- Virtual consultation programs can overcome physical barriers to specialized treatment.
- Tertiary academic centers can provide expert recommendations for local execution of care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate an Online Second Opinions Program for increasing access to expert oncologic care.
- To assess the impact of virtual consultations on treatment recommendations.
- To analyze patient demographics and disease characteristics within the program.
Main Methods:
- An Online Second Opinions Program utilized a cloud-based platform for global patient access.
- Patient records were reviewed by disease experts at Stanford Healthcare.
- Assessment reports with treatment recommendations were provided within 3 days.
Main Results:
- 657 patients participated between November 2018 and August 2020.
- Most participants were female (58.4%), with a mean age of 60.
- 77.2% had advanced disease (stage III/IV); 53.8% received a treatment change recommendation.
- Stage II disease patients most frequently received treatment change recommendations (64%).
Conclusions:
- This study describes one of the first virtual second-opinion programs in oncology.
- Over half of participating patients received a recommended treatment change.
- Virtual programs enhance access to specialized oncologic expertise, particularly for advanced or stage II disease.
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