








key: cord-312947-ppc4w23a
authors: Spiess, Philippe E.; Greene, John; Keenan, Robert J.; Paculdo, David; Letson, G. Douglas; Peabody, John W.
title: Meeting the challenge of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease in patients with cancer
date: 2020-04-23
journal: Cancer
DOI: 10.1002/cncr.32919
sha: 
doc_id: 312947
cord_uid: ppc4w23a

The alarming situation of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) is contrasted by the limited efforts to curb the spread and impact of the disease among patients with cancer. This commentary proposes a simple 5‐part strategy plus rapidly expanded use of telemedicine to anticipate and deal with COVID‐19 and, by extension, future epidemics in patients with cancer.

Cancer Month 0, 2020 restrictions on telemedicine use, clinical trials be put into place for evaluating telemedicine's clinical effectiveness, overall costs of care, diagnostic accuracy, and real and perceived effects on patient confidentiality.

Expanding telemedicine faces 3 significant challenges. First, not all patients will have access to high-speed internet connections, and this must be addressed. 9 Some of these clinical encounters will still be accomplished through phone conversations, with in-person clinical visits reserved for those with unresolved problems or without telemedicine connectivity. Second, providers and patients who typically have not used telemedicine will have to be introduced and supported until they develop some facility. 10, 11 Third, the US Department of Health and Human Services has exercised its authority granted under imminent bipartisan legislation emerging from Congress, 12 and it will pay providers caring for Medicare patients, waive or reduce copays, and allow for patients' care across state lines. With these regulatory changes, however, providers need to be reassured that these changes and future regulatory changes, such as eliminating the need to first conduct an in-person visit before telemedicine is used, will encourage expanded use of telemedicine among oncologists to reduce COVID-19 infections today and improve access to care tomorrow.

No specific funding was disclosed.

Philippe E. Spiess reports that he is medical director of virtual health at Moffitt Cancer Center. Douglas G. Letson reports consultancy work for Stryker Ortho outside the submitted work. John W. Peabody is a professor at the University of California, provides strategic support to Moffitt Cancer Center, and is the founder and president of QURE Healthcare, which is a health care measurement company that uses its trademarked tool, Clinical Performance and Value, to reduce clinical practice variation, raise the quality of care, and lower the costs of health care for patients, providers, and payors. The other authors made no disclosures.

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