Oncology practices are already a flurry of activity. Patients are coming in and out, calling in with questions and concerns, and nurses and physicians are rushing around to stay on top of both administrative and clinical tasks. And what happens if you add a natural disaster to the mix? Is your practice prepared? Cancer patients are one of the most at-risk groups during a natural disaster. A recent study of patients undergoing radiation treatment for locally advanced non–small cell lung cancer found that those who were affected by a hurricane during treatment had worse overall survival. The same research also indicated that the psychological stress of a natural disaster may negatively impact cancer patients more than other groups putting both their physical and mental health at significant risk. Empowering patients with frequent updates and communication is one of the best ways to alleviate fears and stress.
Patients today expect to engage with their healthcare providers from anywhere and at any time. The digital movement in healthcare has been underway for some time with the rise of mobile phone use over the last two decades, improved patient portals, and new generations who are digital natives. Even before the pandemic, many patients were already doing most of their medical research online and accessing specific health data like lab reports and vaccination records, through patient portals. By 2019, 86% of patient portal users were already viewing test results online and 32% had begun sharing information with other providers for referrals or second opinions.
With resource shortages and operational challenges, staff at oncology practices face unprecedented demand to scale high-quality care with fewer resources.
Improving patient care is the ultimate goal of any oncology-focused practice or facility. However, empowering staff to focus almost exclusively on patient care is far easier said than done. Post-pandemic staff is suffering from the highest rates of burn-out in history, with over 55% of front-line healthcare workers reporting mental and physical exhaustion. 62% of healthcare staff have also reported mental health repercussions which can lead to decreased presenteeism at work.
Canopy, the first Intelligent Care Platform for oncology, today announced results from a seventeen-month, real-world study of their ePRO-based patient monitoring platform. The single-site study of 923 patients at Highlands Oncology Group demonstrates the Canopy platform can be effectively implemented at a large scale with a high level of long-term patient enrollment, engagement, and retention. The study also found that the vast majority of patient issues were effectively resolved by nurse specialists and physician intervention was infrequently required.
Canopy, the first Intelligent Care Platform for oncology, today announced they will be presenting their research on the patient impact of their ePRO-based patient monitoring platform at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, to be held June 3-7.
