Recent research from the University of Georgia’s College of Pharmacy suggests that remote doctor visits help breast cancer survivors maintain their follow up care.
The study followed 1,100 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 and monitored them through a database for 5 years. The findings showed that 58% of the women who used telehealth services were more likely to maintain their treatment plan.
After being treated for breast cancer, survivors are put on oral endocrine therapy for several years to prevent the disease from returning. The side effects of these pills can be severe but the study found that remote doctor visits offered better support to manage the side effects.
One of the suspected barriers of remote doctors visits is their cost. Patients who used telehealth services paid 15% more in out-of-pocket costs compared to those who didn’t.
