Patient safety and satisfaction with fully remote management of radiation oncology care (12 June 2024)

Summary

This cohort study in JAMA Network Open aimed to assess how patients receiving radiation treatment for cancer rated their satisfaction with fully remote management by doctors. It also identified the associated safety events, financial implications and environmental consequences.

The authors found that:

• more than 99% of safety events did not reach patients or caused no harm to patients.
• 98% of patient ratings of satisfaction with fully remote management were good to very good.
• out-of-pocket cost savings associated with fully remote management totalled approximately $612 913 ($466 per patient).
• estimated carbon dioxide emissions decreased by 174 metric tons.