Telehealth in Improving Quality of Life in Patients During Post Radiation Therapy Visits

Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Malignant Neoplasm

Treatments: Other: Telemedicine; Other: Questionnaire Administration

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02751580

15D.580

Details and patient eligibility

About

This pilot clinical trial studies how well telehealth works in patients during post radiation therapy visits. A telehealth virtual office visit can be performed from the patient's home or workplace, decreasing time spent traveling to visit site, time spent in waiting room, and cost to patient. Studying telehealth may improve quality of life in patients during post radiation therapy visit.

Full description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To examine feasibility of conducting a trial comparing a telehealth visit and an in person office visit.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To examine patient satisfaction, patient assessment of physician communication during a telehealth visit.

II. To examine patient distrust in the healthcare system following a telehealth visit.

III. To examine physician ability to perform a patient assessment during a telehealth visit.

IV. To examine physician perceptions of telehealth visits. V. To examine monetary and time cost to patients for telehealth visit. VI. To calculate clinic savings derived from telehealth visits.

OUTLINE:

Patients undergo their first post-treatment visit as a virtual telehealth visit using the JeffConnect application.

Enrollment: 37 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients currently undergoing or planned to start radiation treatment with curative, adjuvant or palliative intent
• Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score >= 60
• Patients must be capable to read and speak English and provide study specific informed consent prior to study entry
• Patients must have access to a computer or smartphone and internet connection at home on which they would be willing to do a telehealth study
• Pennsylvania or New Jersey residents *Telehealth visits for New Jersey residents will only be performed by physicians with a current medical license issued by the state of New Jersey.

Exclusion criteria

• KPS < 60%
• No access to a computer, smartphone or internet
• Unable to read and/or speak English
• Decisionally impaired patients
• Patients not residing in Pennsylvania or New Jersey

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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37 participants in 1 patient group

Health services research (telehealth)

Experimental group

Description:

Patients undergo their first post-treatment visit as a virtual telehealth visit using the JeffConnect application downloaded onto their electronic device.

Treatment:

Other: Questionnaire Administration

Other: Telemedicine