Telemedicine for Ovarian Cancer
- Many doctors across the country use telemedicine for follow-up visits, especially due to COVID-19
- Telemedicine gives women with ovarian cancer a convenient and safe way to talk with their doctors about their test results and symptoms
- In-person, physical exams are still vital for diagnosing cancer and receiving certain treatments
While telemedicine might seem like a brand new approach to medical care, many hospitals have been using it for years.
Read MoreA Safer Alternative
Because telemedicine doesn't require an in-person visit, it can be a safer alternative for care. That’s especially the case for people who are at an increased risk of infection, like women with ovarian cancer. The majority of what happens during an in-person follow-up doctor visit centers around taking a medical history (how you’re feeling), and discussing what symptoms and side effects you’re having from your cancer or its treatment. "Most of that can be obtained by just chatting with an individual. So telemedicine actually works really well for that," says Dr. Reese.Doctors can also show and explain lab and test results, including blood tests, as well as CT, MRI, and PET scan results, on a video call. “With technology today, we can actually do a telemedicine visit where I can turn the computer around and show you the CT scans while you’re sitting in your own home or at a distant clinic, and still feel like you're getting all the information that you need to make the right decisions for you and your cancer care," Dr. Reese says.
A Faster, More Convenient Option
In the world of cancer care, telemedicine works well, because it provides a convenient alternative that can be done from the comfort and relative safety of patients’ own homes.
"Most of our patients are happy with it, because they get to do their cancer treatments closer to home," says Dr. Reese. “And that goes a long way because you’re far more comfortable doing it at home than you would be driving hours to come in and do a treatment."
Some In-Person Visits Are Still Vital
Telemedicine is a useful follow-up care option for women with ovarian cancer, but it does have some limitations. In order to detect and diagnose ovarian cancer, oncologists must still conduct a physical examination. "[With telemedicine], I can't feel your abdomen to tell you, is it more bloated, is it less bloated or more distended or less distended than it was before. I can't feel a lymph node in the neck and see, is that getting bigger or not," Dr. Reese says.
There are other limitations to telemedicine, as well. Getting imaging scans and chemotherapy treatments can't be handled remotely. In these cases, it's helpful to have a discussion with your doctor about which visits can wait, and which ones need to be done immediately.
If you do need to go to the doctor in-person during the pandemic, it's important to understand that hospitals, clinics, and doctor's offices are taking every precaution to ensure that you are as safe and protected as possible.
The following protective measures are enabling people to come back to their health care provider's office safely:
- Limiting the number of daily scheduled visits
- Limiting the number of people in the waiting room and spacing them at least 6 feet apart
- Conducting temperature screenings at the door
- Asking patients about their recent travel and personal contacts
- Requiring all medical staffphysicians, nurses, and other personnelto wear personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks and gloves
- Requiring all patients to wear a mask
- Increasing sanitizing methods and disinfecting all surfaces
More and more doctors and health care providers are relying on telemedicine, as it can be a faster, more convenient option for both doctors and patients. But, while telemedicine has been crucial during COVID-19, it can’t fully replace in-person exams and some treatments for patients with ovarian cancer.
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