Evaluation of scheduled video visits for cancer care at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University.
277 Background: Telehealth is currently undergoing exponential growth as a result of improved access through less costly, more portable, and better quality technology and through increased broadband internet proliferation. Telehealth has been shown to improve access and decrease costs while maintaining quality of care and high levels of patient satisfaction. One approach to telehealth is the video visit, in which audiovisual technology is used to connect patients and providers virtually. We implemented a pilot scheduled video visit program in a large academic cancer center (SKCC). Methods: Oncology clinical teams were trained in the use of JeffConnect, the video visit platform developed at our institution. Clinical teams were encouraged to utilize video visits in instances they deemed appropriate (i.e. post hospital follow-up, post-chemotherapy evaluations). All participating patients received a link to an evaluation following completion of the video visit. A subset of patients receiving more detailed survey questions. We reviewed evaluations occurring between 9/1/2016 and 3/31/2019. Results: Sixty-nine unique clinicians and 759 unique patients engaged in 865 completed telemedicine visits. For these, 118 surveys were completed and returned (14.03% of total visits), a similar response rate for other services. Average likelihood to recommend JeffConnect to a friend or colleague was 9.1 (scale 0-10). The majority of patients reported video visits saved them time (Figure 1) and money. For the subset of patients receiving the more detailed survey (n=30), average distance from SKCC at the time of the visit was 125 miles (range 10-963 miles, median 50) and average financial savings were $61.15 (range $8-$300, median $45). Conclusions: Scheduled cancer care video visits were feasible, resulted in high patient satisfaction, and saved patients time and money. Evaluating patient and clinician perceptions of the benefits of and barriers to telemedicine in greater detail is necessary for broader implementation. Patient-reported time saved by telemedicine. [Table: see text]