Virtual Cancer Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Alberta: Evidence From a Mixed methods Evaluation and Key Learnings

PURPOSE This study reports on a mixed methods evaluation conducted within a provincial cancer program in Alberta, Canada. The purpose was to capture key learnings from a rapid virtual care implementation because of the COVID-19 pandemic and to understand the impact on patient and staff experiences. METHODS Administrative data were collected for 21,362 patients who had at least one virtual or in-person visit to any provincial cancer center from April 1, 2020, to June 10, 2020. Patient surveys were conducted with 397 randomly selected patients who had received a virtual visit. Surveys were also conducted with 396 Cancer Care Alberta staff. RESULTS 14,906 virtual visits took place in this period, and about 40% of weekly visits were virtual. Significant differences were observed in both patient-reported symptom questionnaire completion rates and referrals to supportive care services between patients seen in-person and virtually. Patients receiving active treatments reported significantly lower levels of satisfaction with virtual visits than those seen for follow-up, but overall 90% of patients indicated interest in receiving virtual care in the future. Staff thought virtual visits increased patients' access to care but less than one third (31.5%) felt confident meeting patients' emotional needs and having conversations about disease progression and/or end of life virtually. CONCLUSION The COVID-19 pandemic has driven the rapid implementation of virtual visits for cancer care delivery in health care settings. The findings from this mixed methods evaluation provide a concrete set of considerations for organizations looking to develop a large-scale, enduring virtual care strategy. (C) 2021 by American Society of Clinical Oncology

Automated summary

This study reports on a mixed methods evaluation conducted within a provincial cancer program in Alberta, Canada, with the purpose of capturing key learnings from a rapid virtual care implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic and understanding the impact on patient and staff experiences. Significant differences were observed in patient-reported symptom questionnaire completion rates and referrals to supportive care services between patients seen in-person and virtually, with overall 90% of patients indicating interest in receiving virtual care in the future. Staff thought virtual visits increased patients' access to care but felt less confident in meeting patients' emotional needs and discussing disease progression and end of life virtually.