ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2026
Telemedicine adoption, pandemic-related fear, and treatment adherence in cancer care during COVID-19: a prospective cohort study.
Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
purposeTo evaluate the impact of telemedicine adoption and pandemic-related fear on treatment adherence, healthcare utilization, and supportive care processes among patients undergoing cancer therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
methodsIn this prospective cohort study, we followed 149 cancer patients over two years to evaluate telemedicine utilization, treatment modifications, and COVID-19-related fear. We employed validated psychometric tools, including the COVID-19 Fear Scale.
resultsTelemedicine adoption (24.8% of patients) was associated with fewer hospital visits (7.3 ± 3.2 vs 9.4 ± 4.1, p = 0.004) and reduced emergency room utilization (16.2% vs 46.4%, p < 0.001). Treatment modifications occurred in 55.9% of patients, predicted by COVID-19 infection (OR = 2.8, 95% CI:1.7-4.6) and neutropenia (OR = 2.1, 95% CI:1.3-3.4). High fear scores were linked to increased mortality (8.1% vs 2.7%, p = 0.032), disease progression (37.8% vs 21.4%, p = 0.018), lower treatment adherence (75.7% vs 87.5%, p = 0.041), and higher hospitalization rates (51.3% vs 24.1%, p < 0.001).
conclusionThis study demonstrates that telemedicine can reduce acute care utilization while treatment modifications and high pandemic-related fear significantly worsen cancer outcomes. These findings highlight the need for oncology teams to proactively integrate remote care strategies and targeted psychological support to maintain treatment adherence and mitigate adverse outcomes during health crises.
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