COA Position Statement on Telehealth in Cancer Care Post-COVID-19

The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) has released a position statement on the continued use of telehealth in cancer care beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency. COA board of directors support telehealth visits "as a valuable supplement to in-person visits during the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic and continued usage when appropriate after the pandemic has subsided."

Though telehealth has been widely adopted by oncology providers and patients, COA states that as an effective substitute for some patients, it cannot be applied to all. It further states that in-person visits for cancer care should continue beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency.

“Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth regulations were extremely cumbersome and limiting at the state and federal levels, with poor reimbursement," COA Medical Director Mark Thompson, MD, said in a statement. "The rapid response of Federal policymakers to loosen telehealth restrictions and raise reimbursement rates were a true lifesaver for patients and practices. Community oncology practices are resilient and quickly integrated telehealth into their workflow thanks to these changes."

COA states that telehealth should not replace in-person care. It supports the "continued use of telehealth as a care tool" and will act as a  voice when "the time comes to integrate telehealth into the normal regulation structure."

Read COA's news release and position statement.

Posted 9/25/2020