Telemedicine represents the practical embodiment of patient-centred oncology care, a concept that has become increasingly popular in the past few years. Yet despite the demonstrated benefits of telemedicine, its longitudinal adoption remains limited. Herein we discuss some of the potential challenges that telemedicine faces, as we underutilize this approach relative to its anticipated value.
Patient-centred care has emerged as an important concept in cancer care delivery and involves a multifaceted transition towards prioritizing the patient’s values, focusing predominantly on the physical, financial and quality-of-life burdens of treatment. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has become a prominent platform for delivering cancer care. Telemedicine has not only proven its utility as a feasible alternative to in-person care but has also been recognized by patients as an option that they might prefer for a wide range of reasons. Telemedicine provides a suitable mechanism for moving beyond just paying