Recent findings presented at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting reveal that telehealth is as effective as in-person visits for delivering palliative care to patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This breakthrough could significantly improve access to essential care for vulnerable populations.
Key Takeaways
- Equivalence of Telehealth and In-Person Palliative Care: The REACH PC trial demonstrated that early palliative care delivered via telehealth is equivalent to in-person visits in terms of quality of life benefits for patients with advanced NSCLC.
- Access and Practical Benefits of Telehealth: Telehealth can overcome significant barriers to accessing in-person palliative care, such as the limited availability of specialty-trained clinicians and logistical issues.
- Policy and Future Research Implications: The findings suggest that ongoing access to telehealth services should be supported and integrated into standard oncology practice.
The REACH PC Trial
The REACH PC trial enrolled 1,250 patients with advanced NSCLC and 548 caregivers from 22 cancer centers across the United States. Participants were randomly assigned to receive monthly palliative care visits either in-person or via video chat. Patient-reported outcome measures were collected at weeks 12, 24, 36, and 48.
Quality of Life Assessment
Patient quality of life was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung (FACT-L) questionnaire. The adjusted mean scores at week 24 were 99.7 for the video visit group and 97.7 for the in-person group, indicating equivalent quality of life benefits.
Caregiver Participation
Caregiver attendance was higher in the in-person group (49.7%) compared to the video visit group (36.6%). This difference was likely due to the need for family members or friends to assist with transportation to and from in-clinic visits.
Satisfaction and Mood Symptoms
The two groups did not differ in terms of satisfaction with care or patient mood symptoms, further supporting the equivalence of telehealth and in-person palliative care.
Policy Implications
These findings provide critical evidence to support the ongoing access to telehealth services, especially for vulnerable populations with serious illnesses. The results will ideally inform policy decisions regarding the role and coverage of virtual care in the future.
Future Research
Questions remain about the circumstances under which video visits should be the preferred modality for delivering palliative care. Follow-up studies with patients, caregivers, and clinicians are needed to answer these questions. Additional research is also necessary to increase the representation of patients from diverse backgrounds in telehealth studies.
Sources
- Telehealth Palliative Care Remains Beneficial in Advanced Lung Cancer, Targeted Oncology.
- Virtual and In-Person Palliative Care Equally Beneficial in Advanced Lung Cancer | MedPage Today, MedPage Today.
- Joseph A. Greer, PhD, on Lung Cancer: Telehealth vs In-Person Palliative Care – The ASCO Post, The ASCO Post.
- REACH PC Trial: Early Palliative Care Via Telehealth Has Equivalent Efficacy to On-Site Visits for Patients With Advanced NSCLC, Pharmacy Times.
- Palliative Care via Telehealth Similarly Beneficial to Quality of Life in Lung Cancer, Curetoday.
