No abstract

The introduction of oncology telehealth in BCCSVIC/Vancouver Island Health Authority was in an ethics-approved study. Following the completion of the trial, there was a 10-fold increase in follow-up patients seen using this modality. Reluctance to see new patients through telehealth probably relates to the necessity to change the patient encounter paradigm. There is a need to develop a model where patients who are a distance from specialists concentrated in larger centers have reasonable access to the same standard of care, without incurring the time and financial burdens. Telehealth would be a part of that model.

Telemedicine, or the use of information communication technology (ICT) for medical diagnosis and patient care, is an innovative method of health service delivery. It offers opportunities and challenges for clinicians, consumers and health care organizations. In British Columbia, specialized oncology health care services are provided to cancer patients at one of the five Regional Cancer Centers of the B.C. Cancer Agency (BCCA). The burden and stress of travel for rural patients as well as the increasing demand for specialized cancer care services prompted us to explore telemedicine as an alternative health service delivery method for these patients. This article will outline a research study undertaken in partnership with the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA), Provincial Services Health Authority (PHSA) and the University of British Columbia. Implementation and sustainability of a telehealth program requires an examination of organizational, health care system and technical readiness. Barriers to uptake include human factors and infrastructure requirements. A systematic approach optimizes the successful implementation of a telehealth program.