Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23161339›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2013

Improving access to specialist multidisciplinary palliative care consultation for rural cancer patients by videoconferencing: report of a pilot project.

Sharon M Watanabe, Alysa Fairchild, Edith Pituskin, Patricia Borgersen, John Hanson, Konrad Fassbender

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
43citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
5.3field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

43 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 118 citations in OpenAlex.

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  4. The role of digital health technology in rural cancer care delivery: A systematic review.The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association · 2022
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  15. Cancer-related care for rural and remote populations in Canada: A scoping review.Canadian oncology nursing journal = Revue canadienne de nursing oncologique · 2025
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  18. Telehealth palliative care interventions for patients with advanced cancer: a scoping review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Sharon M WatanabeDepartment of Symptom Control and Palliative Care, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Alysa Fairchild
Edith Pituskin
Patricia Borgersen
John Hanson
Konrad Fassbender
University of Alberta · CAAlberta Cancer Foundation · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePalliative care (PC) and palliative radiotherapy (RT) consultation are integral to the care of patients with advanced cancer. These services are not universally available in rural areas, and travel to urban centers to access them can be burdensome for patients and families. The objectives of our study were to assess the feasibility of using videoconferencing to provide specialist multidisciplinary PC and palliative RT consultation to cancer patients in rural areas and to explore symptom, cost, and satisfaction outcomes.

methodsThe Virtual Pain and Symptom Control and Palliative Radiotherapy Clinic was piloted from January 2008 to March 2011. Cancer patients in rural northern Alberta attended local telehealth facilities, accompanied by nurses trained in symptom assessment. The multidisciplinary team at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton was linked by videoconference. Team recommendations were sent to the patients' family physicians. Data were collected on referral, clinical, and consultation characteristics and symptom, cost, and satisfaction outcomes.

resultsForty-four initial consultation and 28 follow-up visits took place. Mean Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale scores for anxiety and appetite were statistically significantly improved at the first follow-up visit (p < 0.01 and p = 0.03, respectively). Average per visit savings for patients seen by telehealth versus attending the CCI were 471.13 km, 7.96 hours, and Cdn $192.71, respectively. Patients and referring physicians indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the clinic.

conclusionDelivery of specialist multidisciplinary PC consultation by videoconferencing is feasible, may improve symptoms, results in cost savings to patients and families, and is satisfactory to users.

Indexed as

Health Services AccessibilityPalliative CareRural Health ServicesVideoconferencingAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAlbertaCaregiversFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansInterdisciplinary CommunicationMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasms

Identifiers

PMID23161339
OpenAlexW1985104589

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.