Assessment of telehealth experience among a head and neck oncology population.

e13650 Background: Studies suggest that oncology patients are satisfied and sometimes prefer telehealth over an in-person visit; however, data are scarce on when patients find telehealth helpful. Such information would be key in understanding how telehealth can be optimally integrated into cancer care delivery. This study aims to identify factors that influence patient experience of telehealth among a multidisciplinary head and neck oncology population. Methods: From Mar 2020 to Dec 2020, we surveyed head and neck oncology patients at a comprehensive cancer center and 6 satellite sites in New York and New Jersey. We assessed patient experience of telehealth versus in-person visit (primary outcome) and their satisfaction with telehealth (secondary outcome). We conducted multivariate regression to analyze covariates that may influence their experience and satisfaction. Covariates included patient factors (age, gender, race, marital status, primary language, home state, home distance from center, current location at home or clinic), clinical factors (diagnosis, performance status, receiving chemotherapy or radiation), physician factors (profession, current location at main or regional campus), visit factors (type, length, billing level, month, first telehealth visit or not), and a technological factor (device type). Results: Among 1,071 completed surveys (response rate 24.0%), 551 first-unique surveys were analyzed. Surveyed patients were predominantly 60 years or older (64.1%), white (88.3%), married (73.8%), and lived within 50 miles from our cancer center (76.1%). Majority had diagnoses of head and neck cancers (65.7%), followed by thyroid cancers (23.8%), and skin cancers (10.5%). While most patients would recommend telehealth (82.4%), only half reported telehealth the same or better compared to in-person visits (55.7%), whereas the other half reported not as good or unsure (44.3%). In multivariate analyses, patients who found telehealth the same or better than in-person visits were more likely to have thyroid cancers (adjusted odds ratios [aOR]: 2.18, CI 95% 1.44 - 3.36) and have visits from July to December (aOR 1.61, CI 95% 1.14 - 2.27). Satisfaction with telehealth was higher among patients with thyroid cancers (aOR: 2.58, CI 95% 1.20 - 6.41), on visits when patients were at home (aOR 3.48, CI 95% 1.37 - 8.42) and when physicians were on campus (aOR 1.73, CI 95% 1.00 - 2.99). Conclusions: Patient experience with telehealth is diverse among the head and neck oncology population; while one-half found telehealth the same or better compared to in-person visits, the other half found it not as good or unsure. More favorable telehealth experience among patient subgroups highlights the multidisciplinary nature of head and neck oncology and improved acceptance of telehealth over time. Future research to optimize patient experience is needed to ensure successful integration of telehealth in head and neck oncology practices.