Telehealth Utilization Among Occupational Therapists in Oncology: Results From a National Survey.
Alix G Sleight, Caroline M Klein, Alexandra E Feldman and 1 others
PMID 36726219WHAT IT FOUND
Most oncology OTs believed telehealth was a good idea for treatments and consultation, but only 4% reported actually using it.
They saw it as best for education, quality of life, and psychosocial support, while preferring in-person care for hands-on physical treatment.
Key findings
01Only 4% of respondents reported currently or previously using telehealth with cancer patients.
02Nearly 80% of respondents thought telehealth would be a good method for delivering occupational therapy in an oncology setting.
03When asked which treatments were best suited for telehealth, 41% cited education, 21% quality of life/well-being/lifestyle, and 19% psychosocial treatments.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The data were collected in 2016-2017, before the widespread adoption of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, so current usage rates and perceptions are likely different. The sample was recruited via snowball sampling, meaning it was not random and a true response rate could not be calculated. Respondents came from only 20 states, limiting generalizability across the United States. There was a lack of representation from non-Medicaid expansion states, where healthcare access may differ. A sensitivity analysis for non-respondents to the telehealth questions was not possible because those who skipped them did not complete the demographic section.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these usage rates reflect current practice. The data are from 2016-2017, before the pandemic-driven expansion of telehealth, so actual utilization today is likely much higher than the 4% reported here.